


Ice on the Tide

by orphan_account



Category: Transformers (Bay Movies)
Genre: F/M, Humanformers, Other, lots of angst too, lots of fluff, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-04-20
Packaged: 2018-10-02 17:40:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10223615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Life has never been truly kind to Amelie, jobs in the city never lasting for long and always seeming to be in short supply. Throughout her travels though the ocean seems to call to her- luck and fortune always seeming to be plenty when in close proximity to the blue waves. A deep fear of the ocean however keeps her from staying, only lingering whenever the summer comes to bring a prosperous tourist season to the shores of the local holiday villages.That all changes however, when her job leads her to a chance encounter with an incredibly insistent stingray with an eye for pretty things. Their life, is never quite the same.





	1. Drawn to the blue.

The sun had been far too kind as of late. The permanent taste of salt on the breeze and high pitched shriek of the sea-gulls might of been alluring for some, perhaps the travelling tourists that passed through the bay, but to one individual it only brought resentment. Amelie Frost was terrified of the ocean, and refused to go anywhere near it if life permitted her to. Sadly, it was not the case. Every summer the rent seemed to raise and her cushy little apartment would become no longer in walking distance of her part time job-- which also seemed to vanish. It was like an invisible force pushed her towards the briny blue, seasonal work plentiful and easy to find on short notice when tourist season was in full swing outside of the big city.

And so here she was, a new apartment in a quaint village that was famous for having no name, suitcase in tow and the depths of the ocean in eyeshot almost anywhere she stood. A scowl worked its way onto her gaunt features, glancing at the horizon before settling in to her new summer abode. Tourist season lasted from April to September, and so the gaudy wallpaper and faded carpet was to become a site she was going to become very familiar with over the next 5 months. Unpacking was easy when you had next to nothing to bring with you, a phone and headphones the only electrical items she owned in terms of entertainment. 'Ah, how great it is to be poor,' she griped internally, noting to set up the wifi once she wasn't quite so tired. Work started early tomorrow from 6am to 5pm, and she wanted to turn up at least well rested if she had to deal with extra close proximity to the object of her deepest fears. 

Collapsing onto the bed she sighed peacefully this time. At least the bed was incredibly comfortable... Sleep came that night easily, only to be interrupted rudely by the alarm on her phone. A few muttered profanities could be heard under the thick covers, before a messy blonde head of hair peeped through the fabric and delicately turned off the offending noise. "Today will be fine..." she groaned, joints aching from the walk uphill before getting up for work.  
a simple loose and airy white shirt over the top of her black skin-tight sports tank top and a pair of faded jeans and sandals were added as the outfit for the day, a quick brush of Amelie's unruly hair being the last thing to do before heading out the door and beginning the treacherous climb down to the general store near the shoreline. The store manager was kind and understanding, patient with teaching each job and task with practiced ease. By the time the week was done, Amelie had already gained a proficient ease and grace to complete each task, and had been given a new chore. After every shift, she had been given the job of collecting muscles and craps from the traps that had been anchored on the private side of the beach where tourists weren't allowed to go. If she could scream, she would of. 

And so once again fate laughed as she walked across the white sands of the private beach just out of view from the tourist one, rock pools and caves filled with streams of water populated with sea crustaceans that in other circumstances the blonde would of stayed far, far away from. The traps came into view, marked by long green coloured rope which had been discoloured with age and wear- it didn't look too difficult to pull in judging by how close they were, visible from the mid depth tide about 30 metres away. There were 5 in total, relatively small in size all coming in full of muscles but no crabs- which struck her as odd. "Didn't that old man say these should have at least 5 crabs per in...?" When the final trap came in, it was significantly harder to pull in. Something strong was resisting, actively pulling away from the shoreline which nearly made her drop the rope anchor and lose the trap altogether to the tide. With a harsh scowl on her face Amelie dug her heels into the wet sand and pulled, putting all of her weight into tugging in the final trap, arms straining with the force as the weathered rope bit into her palms.

It was abrupt how suddenly it happened, whatever force that had been pulling away gave up inexplicably and Frost was sent reeling backwards as the trap came hurtling towards the beach, sand kicked up in its wake. Only, it wasn't the only thing to be dragged onto the beach as something green and grey coloured struggled nearby, half caught under the waves as they crashed onto the shore. Looking up from her spot on the ground fear immediately clutched her heart watching whatever that thing was flounder, what sounded like groans coming from it. Reaching around she found a piece of driftwood that felt like a comforting weight in her hand and with her new makeshift weapon made her way towards the creature currently stuck in the trap. It didn't take them long to realise a stingray must of become tangled in the crab trap, trying to get whatever meal inside, only-

A burst of sudden movement from the stingray made her stagger backwards again, driftwood brandished threateningly as she tried to move over to the trap and free it. Moving quickly she wrestled the trapdoor open and tugged at the netting, noting that the barb had been snagged inside the trap- was it wise to unhook it when the current stingray was still trashing around? Probably not, but she wasn't about to run now. As much as she hated the ocean, she didn't want this fish to die.  
Mustering up the courage to make an attempt her delicate fingers made a reach for the barb before a human hand clamped around her ankle and pulled her down. A brief scream was all she could manage before she was pulled into the waves, terror setting in and flaring up her will to fight. "LET ME GO!" Frost thrashed, struggling under this person's grasp before she was pinned down roughly just where the water began to reach ankle height. Above her a distinctly not human person hovered, face set in a dark glare bordering almost in murderous. Moments passed and neither made a move, Amelie's heart ready to give out as she noticed the scales along his shoulders and the markings running down each arm. Not to mention he was HALF FUCKING STINGRAY. WHAT THE FUCK!? He seemed to be examining her for something, blackened eyes with green pupils darting from detail to detail.

"...I-If you're going to kill me, at least let me die not wearing flip-flops," She stuttered in a weak attempt to make a joke. She had no idea if this... guy??? Even spoke English but here she was, begging not to be murdered by some sea pancake who tried to steal some crabs. The harsh glare disappeared under a layer of genuine surprise, which was long enough for him to lesson his grip enough for her to kick him off, struggle out and make a beeline for the shore. She stopped running after she was sure she was safe, turning back to look at the merman who was watching her closely from the water, still far too close to the trap for her liking. Kicking off her pathetic excuses for shoes, she edged closer to the trap only to have him glare again. She glared back, already done with the whole situation. "Don't you fucking glare at me you stupid pancake! You're the one who tried to kill me!" She reclaimed her driftwood weapon in defence, holding her ground. "I just want this dumb trap which YOU stole from. I don't care what happens after that, go on your merry way for all I care."

It was a stalemate, he was caught in the trap which she needed and couldn't leave without, and he wouldn't let her get close. He snorted in response, moving to lie down on his arms in the shallow water. A smug look overcame his features, daring her to get closer. She took it was a challenge, taking steps closer to no effect on the seemingly now relaxed stingray. "I'm going to let you go. If you try to hurt me, I swear I'm having sushi tonight," it would of sounded much more threatening if she wasn't still shaken from her first shock. What sounded like an amused chuckle came from the man, eyes flicking over her form again before eyes fixated on her hands. Apparently her ring was an object of interest now, an old family heirloom she had forgotten she was still wearing. Simple in design but set with a midsized deep blue gemstone, it had a flaw inside that resembled an 8 pointed star that shone with iridescence when held to the light. She once considered selling it but being the only tie she had left to whatever family she previously had, it remained in her possession. Kneeling down she moved the netting like before, glancing over nervously before unhooking the barb and letting the tail slide away free. Immediately the stingray retreated to deeper waters, watching intensely her every move as she could finally begin claiming whatever had come back from the sea. What was left were only a few smaller crabs not worth taking, and a few clusters of muscles which seemed a decent enough amount. 

With a small sigh she got up, throwing anything worthwhile back in one of the traps which she slung over her shoulder. Noticing she still had an audience, she flipped off the merman. "You better not be here tomorrow!" She shouted, reclaiming her shoes with a grumbled curse. When she looked back he was no longer visible and a weight metaphorically dropped off her dampened shoulders, the smell of sea-salt strong as she padded her way back to the store. The storeowner laughed, making a comment that it wasn't easy work bringing in the traps and seemingly didn't mind the lack of crabs. "They're wily, those buggers. Some days you can get almost a hundred, others they never show up."

The next day was considerably less traumatic, with no stingray in sight and a plentiful catch to boot. It was hard work but it felt rewarding, pausing to sit on the sand and watch the waves lap against the beach. The ocean seemed less daunting when she didn't have to go in it... Sifting through the various creatures caught in the nets, she spotted some particularly big crabs with a glossy iridescent shells. After a beat she plucked them from the net, deciding to leave them behind. If that stingray was still lurking, he could have that as an apology for the insults- not that he deserved it. As Amelie left the shoreline and the crabs behind she swore she could feel the prickle of eyes on her retreating form, but glancing back revealed nothing but the crashing of waves. For a week she continued to do the same routine, gather in the traps and leave behind some crabs for that strange merman. Whenever she arrived there was no sign of the crabs of the previous day, so either the marine life had claimed it or the tide had carried it out to sea- or that's what she'd like to believe at least. It was a Saturday evening and had the day off, so she decided to use her free access and go to the private part of the beach to read a book she had borrowed from the local library, borrowed parasol in tow to keep the sun off her pale skin. 

It wasn't a lot but with music from her phone, pleasant shade and a book for entertainment life didn't seem so bad. She was half way through her fantasy novel when a smooth pebble landed right at the feet of the towel she was currently lying on. Looking up, there were no seagulls around to drop anything, and the ocean was very calm today... Another pebble found its way to her, this time smacking her on the foot. A murderous glare shot in the direction of the thrower, which was the same stingray from before. A smug look donned his tanned face, resting on a tiny rocky island 50 metres out from the shore. "I told you to not come back!" Frost bit out, only growing angrier as he continued to grin. Trying to read and block out his presence, another pebble came hurtling towards her, knocking the book right out of her hands and onto the sand below. "You are dead!" She shrieked, returning fire with the same pebble- which grazed the side of his head with an inch to spare. He ducked down off the rocks and swam to another vantage point, clearly amused by her feeble attempts to get him back. Visibly shaking with anger she stomped into the water, walking further into the now warm currents with the intent to hurt- only she stopped when the water began to reach knee height. The stingray watched with intent interest, head resting on his arms again as Frost struggled to push herself forward. After a few minutes of shivering not from the cold, but from fear she accepted defeat and walked away, sitting miserably on the shore. 

"Fer someone who was ready ta 'murder', ya sure gave up easily," a voice murmured good-naturedly, the stingray now circling the more shallow tides near the down put blonde. "Go away you stupid pancake, you aren't real..." She groaned, head in hand. "Aw, and here I thought we had somethin' toots! you savin' me life and all," He preened, clearly not going to leave any time soon. She didn't give him the satisfaction of a response, rather she got up and dusted off the sand now clinging to her dampened legs. Good thing she wore shorts today... "Leaving so soon?" The stingray teased, to which he received a middle finger. "Didn't save your life. I saved the crab trap from an idiot who tried to KILL me. Excuse me if I don't want to socialise with an asshole who tried to drown me in the fucking shallows," She mumbled bitterly, rolling up her towel and book in the small canvas bag she had brought with her. He didn't reply after that, instead the stingray watched her pack up her belongings and prepare to leave.

"Yer scared of the water aren't ya?" He pointed out, all teasing gone. She turned around, frown still present but less harsh now he wasn't mocking the blonde. His expression seemed contemplative. "I'm not scared of the water. I'm scared of what could be lurking in it," She explained with a huff picking up the last bits, her phone secured in her back pocket before walking off back to the other side of the bay. He didn't follow, instead just watched her leave. The merman was still visible as she passed the large columns of collapsed boulders and rocks which separated the two beaches, disappearing beneath the waves has he finally lost sight of her.


	2. Dancing and the dreaming.

After the last embarrassing and frankly infuriating encounter with the merman she had steered clear of the beach. She didn't like being seen as weak and being called out on irrational fears was never a pleasant thing to experience- she still had to bring back the sea crustaceans to the storefront but the irritating stingray was nowhere to be found. Out of habit, a few glossy crabs were left behind. Whether or not he actually ate them, she guessed she would never know. It was 3 days after the second beach incident that the stingray showed up again, dwelling on a warm rock in the soon-to-be-setting sun. She paid him no heed, going about her task and pulling the traps in until the last one clattered to the ground next to her, the merman in dangerously shallow waters with an unreadable expression.

Frost paused, brushing away the wispy hair from her eyes as she glanced over to her new found company. "I want to choose this time," it was a demand to which the blonde didn't reply to at first. Instead she leant down, kneeling in the shallow wake of the shoreline to open up the nearest trap. "Then choose. At least you ask this time," she quipped smartly, lips upturned in a frown. Taking the trap with no shame at all, he rummaged through the contents until he found some to his liking- Frost stopped paying attention after a few moments and continued with her own searching, separating the good ones from the bad before a particular shell caught her attention. "Do you like oysters?" She asked quietly, waving the large clam in the merman's direction. He paused in his actions, taking a look before shaking his head. She shrugged, and instead decided to open it up herself on the off chance it might have something inside. As luck would have it the oyster was lined with 2 short rows of what looked like black pearls. "Hey... Aren't pearls meant to be white?" She offered up the clam again to the man who immediately stopped to look, eyes fixated on the black pearls she had recently discovered. Moving closer he almost snatched the oyster away, examining the pearls as though she wasn't there anymore- the memory of him eyeing her ring quickly came to mind. So he was a hoarder...? The thought made her twist the ring on tighter.

After a 2 minutes of his inspection, he looked up and realised she was still there, looking at him expectantly. "If you think yer getting this back love, yer mistaken." Was all he had to say, and amused glint returning to his eyes. Amelie throwing her arms up in the air in exasperation. "Really? I offered you that damn clam a few minutes ago and you said no!" He closed the clam in question and crossed his arms, a defiant look taking the place of the faint smirk. "Well sweet stuff- now I want it, and now ah'm keeping it." Unbelievable. What even was this guy? "You're a fucking asshole you know that?" She said incredulously, crossing her arms back at him. He seemed pleased with the analogy, not expecting for her to dive at him and wrestle him down against the ground for the shell. On his back he wasn't able to move much except flop hopelessly, the woman pinning him down however struggled to keep his arms down. "You're a selfish fucking asshole who attacks lone women and i'm taking two of those pearls whether you like it-" she grunted as he struggled under her grasp, a snarl tearing out of his throat, "-or not!" 

With a satisfying SMACK the clam went sailing out of his grasp and onto the beach where he could no longer reach it, and a long pause stretched out between them. Amelie began to grin victoriously before the roles reversed suddenly and once again she was pinned in the water with an angry merman threatening her life. "Those are mine." This time however, she was thoroughly unimpressed. Instead she smiled, shooting back a casual remark. "Go get em' then sweet stuff, they're all yours." The tone was mocking, and the pressure on her neck did not help but she didn't flinch away, eyes focused on his which had turned into jade pinpricks in a storm of ink. He eventually let her go, knowing full well that going on land was impossible and she stood, basking in her moment of victory as he collected his crabs and turned to leave moodily. "Aw no smartass remark? No ridiculous nickname followed up by an equally stupid comment?" She was so smug that she'd won watching him disappear into the waves that she almost felt bad. Biology had failed the majestic sea flap flap this time, it seemed. Overcoming her moment of narcissism, she did only take 2 from the oyster before placing it in reach of the shallows. If he wanted it, she knew he'd come back. "If you're done being a melodramatic basking shark you can get your pearls now. I only took 2 like I said."

She waited a few minutes but there was no response to which she shrugged her shoulders and began to leave. By the time she had made it to the end of the beach and she had turned around to look, the shell was already long gone, doomed to the greedy grasp of the sea flap flap.

The pearls she had taken were of medium size, smooth to the touch yet felt rough when brushed against teeth (the only way to check if they were real without evaluation equipment, or so the interwebs state after setting up her wifi at long last) and had a deep blue pearlescent sheen to them. They were extremely pretty, and after inspection she could understand why that stupid stingray would want them so bad. The next few days he continued to return, glare present but still demanded to choose the crabs. He was careful to watch for oysters this time, eyes flicking back and forth between the traps, Amelie sometimes smirking as she pretended to find another one only to watch his face darken in realisation. "Yer a real bitch," He grit out, deciding to lie on his arms in the water. "And yet, you stay. I would of thought you'd learn by now, if you're an ass, i'll just do it right on back" She retorted, eyes focused on her job. After that, he stayed silent.

“Are you still sulking?” Amelie asked, eyebrow raised after the 4th day of silent treatment. He shot a deathly glare in her direction as they went through their daily routine. She would go through the crab traps, he would show up and demand his own crabs, and after she was done they would part ways. “…Because I’m quite done with the silent treatment from a moody fish who couldn’t get his way.” She added, hands resting on her hips. “Those pearls were mine and you stole em’,” he grunted, eyes a shade darker than normal. She rolled her eyes, moving to kneel in the tides next to him despite his irritated expression. “I stole 2, fishman, and If it bothers you so bad then i’ll bring them back. I only took them because I’m barely able to pay rent in this place, god…” Reaching up she rubbed her temples with a groan. All this sun had started to lighten her hair, the wispy nature only becoming an annoyance in the gentle breeze. 

“No. I want a different payment fer an apology.” His jaw was set, eyes locked with hers. “I want to know why yer scared of the ocean.” Silence stretched out after his second demand that day, Amelie’s expression twisting into a deep glare. “You really are an asshole. You’ve done nothing but offend and assault me, making demands and not once have been kind. I took 2 pearls from a clam which I offered you and you DECLINED, to help myself pay rent so I can keep living here and now you want to know my darkest fears? I should just tell the locals about you and let them turn you into some kind of attraction,” she finished bitterly, hair moving over her face to cover her features. 

“But ya haven’t,” he reminded her with an air of provocation, finger wagging to exaggerate the point. “Because unlike you I’m a decent person! I could have told everyone in town, taken pictures, taken all of the pearls for myself, left you for dead in the trap and never left any crabs at all, but I didn’t because I felt obliged to help you thanks to my morals.” The merman snorted, looking unimpressed. “Who needs morals? Survival’s tha’ only thing that matters out here love. If we were in reverse situations, I reckon I would of done all of what you just said without a moment of hesitation if I were just as poor as you,” he scrutinized her appearance, shorts and loose tank top making the stingray wrinkle his nose. What he didn’t expect was the full force punch into his jaw line, sending him reeling back into the ocean with a mighty splash and spluttering to surface. Another thing he didn’t expect was for her to follow through with the attack, another punch straight to his abdomen before delivering a swift kick to the side followed by two more for good measure. “There’s my fucking apology you piece of shit.” The blonde spat, heaving with anger and ready to punch him again should he say something else offensive. He only groaned in response, clutching his side to recover from the surprise attack. Her hand ached from the impact, knuckles no doubt bruised as she turned away and waded her way to shore but was dragged suddenly into the deeper part of the ocean by the merman before she could put up a fight.

The arm around her waist was like iron as she struggled, fear closing in once again as the water continued to rise past her waist to neck height where she could no longer see the ground beneath the waves. She clawed at his arm but he didn’t even flinch as he kept moving through the water scarily fast, heart close to stopping as they came to a stop in the middle of the bay. She couldn’t move anymore, afraid to speak anything more than a panicked whimper as the waves swelled around them. The grip on her waist was so tight it was beginning to become hard to breathe but it was the only tie to safety she had right at this moment in time. “I won’t ask you again. Why are you scared of the ocean?” He asked levelly, a hint of malice made obvious in his tone. Upon not receiving an immediate response, he lessened his grip causing Frost to shriek in panic and wrap her own arms around his. “I’m scared because I was attacked by some kind of sea creature when I was younger!” Amelie yelped, looking around wildly but seeing nothing but blue. Her form began to shiver, to petrified too struggle much now. “What kind?” he bit out, pressing for a response. “I don’t know! I never saw it! It just tried to drag me down into the water before something scared it off- t-this was over a decade ago!” She was crying now, hyperventilating. Sensing he wasn’t going to get more of an answer, he lifted her into his arms bridal style, and headed back to the shoreline. 

Upon reaching the land she struggled out of his grasp immediately and collapsed on the beach, shaking violently. Tears of fear still continued to stream down her face as she pulled herself up onto her hands and knees, not bothering to look him in the eye. “You’re a fucking monster. I should have killed you when I had the chance…” If the words hurt him, she couldn’t tell. Gathering up any supplies the traps had provided, she unsteadily made her way back along the beach.  
She didn’t return the next day.

Calling in sick, she had the week off to recover from the trauma of the ocean trip and think of a new way to pay rent- or at least convince the store owner not to make her recover those traps again. So far however, the search had proved fruitless- but after taking one of the pearls for inspection it turned out they were incredibly rare specimens of a local variety, available only in this area. Hearing the news, she decided to sell one and keep the other despite the memories attached, walking away with enough to live comfortably for a few weeks and update her wardrobe enough to look more presentable than she did before. Part of her contemplated getting the now waist height blonde hair cut to a less troublesome length but it had almost become her small claim to fame around the town. The children on holiday knew her as she storefront mermaid, who left the store every evening to rejoin her friends in the ocean returning only in the mornings to help pay for her jewels and pearls. Upon returning to the store, the regular children were delighted to see she had donned a shell necklace, starfish hairclip and shimmery scale themed leggings, fuelling the tale even further. She was happy to be provided a distraction after the last few days, telling stories of her ‘mermaid adventures’ as she restocked the shelves and served customers.

Unfortunately she couldn’t get out of bringing back the traps, but instead a small flock of children accompanied her on the journey, eager to watch how the traps were brought in and see the private section of the beach. A smile donned her face as she showed them how the creatures were caught, educating them on the different kinds that were inside and even letting them pull one in together. When they were done, they sat on the white sand together, listening as Amelie spun another story to the children sitting on her lap and braiding her hair. All of them were enthralled, holding on to each word with bated breath until the very end which ended in cheers.  
“Do you have a king if you’re a warrior princess Amelie?” “Don’t be stupid she can’t be a princess if she has a king,” “Well maybe they just haven’t married yet?” She smiled down at the group of 5 taking turns braiding her hair in various ways. “I don’t, a warrior princess has her whole kingdom to defend, and marriage would only get in the way of protecting my subjects,” she teased, poking the one currently sitting on her lap on the nose. They all murmured in agreement, discussing what would make a perfect fit for a princess like herself. Eventually the sun began to set and the traps needed to be returned, to which the children excitedly volunteered to take the crabs back. As Amelie waved them goodbye she laughed, hearing them whisper reverently about how she was going to return to the sea again soon and they needed to leave quickly. Watching them disappear from view, she smiled absentmindedly as she ran her thumb over the ring she always wore. Today wasn't too bad, the sunset was beautiful to watch as she walked home, enjoying the quiet scenery.

Every couple of days she permitted the children to join her on the beach, cautious should the stingray return though with the lack of sightings, she considered maybe he had finally left the area. Today she was wearing a long flowing dress decorated in rich blues and teals which caught dramatically in the wind and flared out like the ocean waves, hair down for the 5 to play with once again much to their delight. After giving them the task of finding shells, she turned them into bracelets with some leather cord she had been given from the shop. Each one watched amazed as her dexterous fingers spun braids and knots in the blink of an eye, working in the shell to be securely held down by the braid itself. They squealed in delight as each one got their own, wearing it with pride and showing the others with a large grin.  
"Can you sing Amelie?" The youngest of the group questioned, head tilted to the side in curiosity. It wasn't long before the others joined in with chants of asking her to sing, small hands clinging at her dress and pouts all around. She laughed and waved them off, ruffling their hair. "I doubt I could these days, maybe when I was your age but I haven't practiced in years. I once sang for a choir but I didn't like the music they made," She wrinkled her nose in amusement, pretending to stage whisper "they were all so very boring!" The children were having none of it, and demanded to hear her sing again, to which she smiled ruefully. "I guess I could try... Don't blame me if you all run into the ocean because you fell under my enchantments," the blonde teased, wiggling her fingers at them all. 

Clearing her throat, Amelie thought back to an old song she had heard many years ago when she was little and summoned the words, smiling as she sang.

"I'll swim and sail on savage seas  
With never a fear of drowning,  
And gladly ride the waves of life  
If you would marry me.  
No scorching sun nor freezing cold  
Will stop me on my journey...  
If you will promise me your heart,  
And love me for eternity?"

"My dearest one, my darling dear  
Your mighty words astound me!  
But I've no need for mighty deeds  
When I feel your arms around me-"  
"But I would bring you rings of gold  
I'd even sing you poetry,  
And I would keep you from all harm,  
If you would stay beside me." 

She paused for a brief moment, before standing up and pulling them into a dance, all of them locked hands in a circle, singing still as they spun with laugher following each step.

" I have no use for rings of gold!  
I care not for your poetry,  
I only want your hand to hold-  
I only want you near me."

"To love and kiss to sweetly hold,  
For the dancing and the dreaming.  
Through all life's sorrows  
And delights,  
I'll keep your laugh inside me.  
I'll swim and sail a savage seas  
With never a fear of drowning  
I'd gladly ride the waves so white  
if you will marry me!"

As she finished singing Frost dragged them all onto the sand with her, all laughing in a pile with the distant sun casting golds and ambers across the sea and onto their faces. They all chanted "again!" but the blonde waved her hand, shaking her head good naturedly. "Nope, it's time to go back now. I have an ocean to get back to, and you 5 munchkins most likely have some very worried parents wondering where you've all adventured off to this time. Go on," She shooed them gently, patting their heads as they hugged her goodbye and grabbed the crabs they had salvaged together. Waving farewell, she watched their retreating forms vanish to the other side of the boulders and beyond, the wind catching her dress and making it flare out once again. 

Brushing away her hair now in a long over the shoulder braid she smiled freely. Walking back to cast out the traps for tomorrow, she stopped in her steps as a large shell rested on top of the nets, the shape and colour incredibly familiar. Picking it up, the inside had been thoroughly cleaned but there lay the black pearls from weeks ago, crafted into a what looked like a bracelet.  
Casting her gaze into the depths of the sea, a small figure in the distance seemed to be watching, before vanishing beneath the waves.


	3. Change of the heart.

May time had finally arrived and was already 2 weeks in, the days growing longer with every one that passed. Despite the setbacks thanks to a native of the sea, she had enjoyed her time working and knowing for once she wouldn't wake up with her bank balance at zero. The children still followed her around, begging for more stories and songs but were respectful of her job, and were only permitted to join her on certain days of the week. That being said, despite still being livid with the wretched stingray, part of her was intensely curious why he would return the pearls to her at all, especially after putting up such a fight for them. Even more curious was the fact they were now beautifully bound on a silver chain now circling her wrist- how did he even do that? Googling the answers seemed unfruitful, as she hadn't the slightest clue on how a merman would even have access to the tools to craft such a thing. Since then, a few more small items had shown up on the shore of which she often could be found at such a specific time. An obsidian broach carved to resemble some kind of flower, a hairpin with sea glass decals which shimmered with blues and turquoises, and some kind of silken scarf that was feather light to the touch but was incredibly strong, patterned with ocean waves that seemed to glimmer in the light. There was something about these items which seemed impossible for humans to make- certain properties gave it away. Upon contemplation, she decided to not wear them often lest people should take notice.

Despite her musings, she continued to wear the bracelet instead of selling it on like she was incredibly tempted to do. At night, she swore the pearls glowed in the dark ever so faintly. She made a note to ask him tonight if he showed up- and to finally get his damn name after the recent revelations. Since the day after was her day off, she intended to have a small campfire on the beach, loading up on wood from the general store and try the crabs he had been catching for the last month and a half. Come mid day, she had all the supplies prepped and ready, with the children begging to come with her but she waved them away. "Tomorrow, I promise. I'll even have a special song for you all."

And so there she was, post work shift and sat delicately on the shore, fire ready to be lit as the sun started to make its way through the sky and arc gracefully into the ocean. The Glow of orange and gold was certainly a sight to behold on the waves, turning the sea from blue to a mix of autumn themed colours. Dusting off her shorts and tank top, Amelie stood up to stretch before a disturbance in the water caught her attention. Turning around, there was the stingray in all of his arrogant glory, but with no smirk or glare to be found. Instead, he seemed almost... Insecure under her gaze. Insecure, but unapologetic.

They stared at each other for a moment, holding eye contact before the blonde broke it, moving over to light the fire she had build surrounded by stones. There were a few more moments of silence before he spoke up. "I didn't expect you to come here today." She gave him no response, jaw set while creating sparks from the fire striker she had brought with her in her back pocket. After a minute or so he sighed, breaking his composure and looking guilty. "...I know what I did was wrong- and ah'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" "to what?" She cut in sharply, eyes blazing and almost glowing with fire from the setting sun. "To make me unwillingly face my deepest fear, knowing that the only thing keeping me afloat was the person who tried to drown me weeks prior?" He flinched, looking suddenly very deflated. He didn't respond after that, eyes downcast at the water as the only sound between them was the slow crackling of the embers taking to the kindle Frost had so carefully placed in the centre of the fire pit. Another long pause stretched out before she spoke up again. 

"Why did you leave the pearls for me?" It wasn't malicious, simply matter of fact. He tilted his head, looking up sharply. She held out her wrist with the bracelet on, shaking it as she repeated the question. It took him a while to think of an answer. "You found them first. They were yours from the start." He looked away, moving to rest his elbows on the beach while the rest of him stayed submerged in the water. "...But mainly because ya look nice with yer new things. The ocean suits you." His face was serious, but somewhere on his expression she could see a glimmer of that playful nature she had witnessed in her first meeting with the merman. "And the other things?" She pushed, not sure how to react, taking a seat not too far from the stingray. "The same reason," he confirmed, a lazy grin donning his lips. Amelie frowned, gears turning in her head as she watched the fire finally take to the wood she had placed down. "You've been around the entire time haven't you? Watching me whenever I came here." It was less a question as it was a statement which only made her frown more when he nodded, grin growing.

"I live here, Amelie. I'm allowed ta listen to conversations in my own turf if I so please. Shame you ain't a mermaid, reckon you'd of made a stunning siren," He winked, the blonde only making a noise of disgust. "I hate the ocean. Now I just hate it more," she replied dryly, standing up to retrieve the traps she had laid out the day before. It seemed whatever shame he had from before had vanished and so to had the tension from the atmosphere- he was still incredibly obnoxious and demanding, but had tamed it to a bearable minimum. The spoils of the traps were theirs tonight, the shop-owner having been told of her little excursion the day before so they picked the best specimens from the haul, and agreed to let the rest go. Surprisingly, he requested to cook his on the fire in the same way she did for her crabs. "What you think I eat em raw? Hell no!" he looked genuinely disgusted, so much so that it made her snort with laughter. "Well excuse me for not knowing, It's not like I meet fish people every day." "Stingray," he corrected with a wave of his finger, before he took on a boastful tone, "and that's good. I'm a prime example of the species- can't get better than me sweetcheeks!" 

With a roll of her eyes, she bit back another sarcastic comment and skewered a crab from the fire for him to eat. "Here 'prime example', your food." They ate in silence, Amelie savouring the first time trying crab and adoring it, for once not too mindful of each other's company. "So how do you cook your food then?" She asked as she handed another one over to the stingray which he accepted with a grin. "Curious now ey? Don't blame ya love," he smirked before answering the question. "I have various places across the area where volcanic vents show above and below the surface. Keeps the water here warm, fish plenty and in a pinch makes a damn useful way to cook things- if you're smart about it." Crossing her legs, she was actually surprised at the answer. "There's volcanic activity here? I don't recall hearing about it..." "Thas because your people believe too much in their science and technical doo dahs! You think this area is so full of life because of coincidence of natural events?" He frowned, glaring towards the settlement beyond the boulders, out of view. "Nah. Load of crap that. This area is enriched with minerals that are the essence of life- every living thing here comes from it somehow. Thankfully, you humans haven't discovered it yet, god knows what would happen if you did." His tone turned bitter towards the end. "Destruction, I imagine..." Amelie commented idly as she cracked open a muscle from the nets and left it to cook on one of the hot stones she had prepared next to the fire. "Girlie, you have no idea," he murmured grimly, jade pupils darkening to a deep fern green. "To mess with the essence of life? It would destroy the world. There's a reason why people of my kind keep it a secret."

Biting her lip she looked at him quizzically. "Then why tell me if it's such a big secret? Doesn't that defeat the point of not telling anyone?" The stingray chuckled, throwing the now empty crab shell into the ocean behind him. "Because you haven't told anyone about me yet. Seems like a pretty good reason to trust you with this," he commented, lowering his head onto his arms with closed eyes as he rested on the beach. He had a point- he had been nothing but an asshole thus far yet she hadn't uttered a word of the merman to anyone else.  
"What does this mineral look like then? The way you phrase it makes it sound like it's everywhere and we just don't see it." He hummed, opening one black eye to look up at her sat across from him. "Nah it's not everywhere, it's mostly hidden in large caverns underground which are surrounded by rock too solid to dig through. Not too solid however, for the water ta drain through. It filters through the metamorphic and igneous rocks, to where the crystals are. When it passes through the crystals, the energy stays with the water, wherever it goes." She processed the information carefully, gazing at the pearls on her wrist. "Is that why the pearls we found are so rare and local to here only?" He raised an eyebrow, a small smile forming on his face again. "Well lookie lookie someone pays attention. Thas exactly why- those pearls are influenced by the crystals beneath the ground. Have you noticed they glow faintly at night?" Frost nodded, examining them closely. "That's the crystals work. The water passes on the life energy to the creatures in the sea, and from there they're either eaten by us," he gestured the muscle cooking next to the fire, "or reincarnated in a different form. The clam that made those pearls probably once resided in a heavily influenced area. Hence the blue glow." 

The sun was a distant memory now, the last light of day disappearing beneath the waves as they finished off the last of the food together. He watched silently as Frost added logs this time from her bag, eyes glimmering in the evening light. Listening to him talk was fascinating, whether it was true or not she had no idea but considering she was talking to a giant stingray who was half man, she couldn't rule out the possibility that anything was possible at this point. "D'you live in one of those caves then? With this... Crystal?" she asked, genuinely curious. He grinned, pulling himself up onto one arm to rest his head on. "That I do, though it's certainly a lot nicer than the word cave leads you to believe." Frost paused, contemplating something. "If it's underground-" "How do I get in?" He finished the question, a knowing look on his face. "Underground tunnels I can swim through. Took me years to carve the way in but ah, was it worth it. I could show you if you wanted?" The mischievous expression was there again, to which he received a swift middle finger. "You expect me to go underwater in the middle of the night in shorts and a tank top? Yeah, fuck off." 

She settled against the rolled out towel near the fire, looking up to the stars and enjoying the view. "I'm happy here, not freezing to death in the sea which is frankly scary enough during the day." "Suit yourself being boring. You don't know what yer missing," he preened. "A watery grave. Now shut up or leave, I don't care which."  
They both fell silent for an hour or two after that, watching the stars and pointing out meteorites that shot by every so often with a laugh- though the laughing was more from Amelie than the stingray. Late into the night when Frost had put on her last log, she spoke up sleepily. "I don't think I ever asked by the way... What's your name?" He hummed, also tired. "I can't tell ya. Names are power over folk like myself, and while yer nice, I don't trust you that much yet." She sat up slowly, head resting on the palm of her hand half asleep. "Then make a nickname. Unless you want me to call you 'asshole' for the rest of the summer," Amelie mused with a grin. "Heh. fine then. Call me Crosshairs fer now, and maybe one day ah'll tell you my real one." He teased back, wagging a finger in her direction. 

"Crosshairs... Sounds dumb but alright. Mine's Amelie Frost, though you already knew that you stalker fuck," in response to her stuckout tongue he laughed, genuinely laughed, for the first time which caught Amelie off guard. She smiled a little as he held his ribs, pretending to wipe away a tear. "Little miss worker eh? Appropriate all things considered." He paused, seemingly waiting for some kind of reaction. When he didn't get one, he looked mildly disappointed. "Anyway, ya should sleep soon- ah'm used to the late nights but you can barely keep yer eyes open." Cross pointed out to which she weakly flipped him off again. "You don't know me Crossbitch," She murmured under her hand, reaching over to her bag for a blanket.

"Go to sleep or i'll drag you to my cave for real," He smirked as Amelie bundled herself up in the blanket and groaned. "I ain't scared. I'll buy a canoe and sail there just to make your threat empty." He had no reply to that, sensing she was falling asleep rather rapidly. Instead, he chose to carefully move away from the beach, leaving the girl and the still burning fire behind, the light fading into a single dot on the shoreline the further away he got. 

The next morning was warm, the sunrise waking frost gently enough to not be snapped into sudden harsh reality. The tide had moved out while she was asleep, patterns etched into the sand from the rhythmic movement of the waves long since gone. Being in a concealed part of the bay, it hadn't retreated very far, the waterline now 100 metres from its usual highest point exposing large clumps of rocks and pebbles which previously decorated the waters floor. She set to work immediately disposing of the ashes of the fire, dispersing the rocks to their previous positions and returning the landscape to the way she had found it before her impromptu camping trip overnight. When done, she finally gathered up her things in the small canvas bag she had brought along, and began the small journey back to civilisation, eagerly met by the children of the day before. If only they knew she really had spent the night talking to an actual merman...

As promised, Amelie spent the morning teaching them old songs she knew from her childhood, showing them dances and nursery rhymes over breakfast with their families she had been dragged to. Many commented how they never stopped talking about her, always adoring the things she taught them so which made Amelie flustered at the praise, answering questions patiently from curious mothers. Towards midday, Amelie made a quick stop to her temporary home to clean up for the day ahead and grab the black swimming costume she had purchased just in case she would ever need it. Hair braided into a long plait she twisted it up into a messy bun and secured it in place with the long elegant hairpin that Cross had left her without a word some days ago. Removing all other jewellery, she threw her scale leggings and loose fitting white blouse over the top before dashing out back to the general store to make a very key transaction.

The sun had reached its highest point in the sky by the time she had made it back to the private beach, Crosshairs coming into view seemingly sunbathing on the nearby rocks with the tide coming in. Dragging behind her in the sand was a one seated canoe, paddles slung over her shoulder with a smug expression. It took her throwing down the paddles for him to open one eye and laugh, the air of mischief returning in an instant.

"Didn't peg you as serious when you mentioned the canoe last night snowdrop," he spoke above the waves, the current less gentle today but not by much. Setting up the boat, Amelie replied with a smirk back. "I'm scared of being in the water myself, a boat is no problem." It was roomy inside, the buoyant plastic swaying gently as it was pushed into the water ready to cast off. "I took rowing lessons in high school to try and get over my fear- thought it worked as well until I got out of the boat and into the sea itself." The boat took off gracefully, keeping perfect balance as the waves rocked the boat in a steady rhythm. The act of being on water was nerve-wracking, a cold sweat taking over her hands but she remained stern, pushing down the fear and reminding herself she had years of practice. Crosshairs caught up to her from his rock was ease, gliding along next to her with an air of amusement, "Well, i'll hand it to you I wasn't expecting you to follow through, you have me this time." They swam around, keeping pace with each other though he occasionally pushed ahead just because he could, watching her catch up again. "So, now the question is do you dare go all the way to my home? It's not simply around the corner," the merman bobbed in the water, pausing his constant swimming to tease his new found companion. "I said I would and I will!" She shot back, a determined look on her face. Crosshairs only shrugged. "Hope you have the stamina!" Was his reply before swimming ahead at a pace which allowed her to follow.

They swam out together a considerable distance, passing large rocky islands filled with colourful seabirds she had never seen before which peered down at them curiously as they passed. After half an hour, they rested on a vaguely small island with a large area of shallow water surrounding spotted with patches of shrubbery where they spoke some more. "You keeping up alright over there?" The stingray grinned from the water next to the anchored canoe, looking up at Frost who was inspecting the rocks with interest. The stone formations here were geometrical, resembling hexagonal steps that rose out of the ground in various heights before giving way to actual mud and stone. "I'm fine. I'm used to working hard," she threw back with a dismissive hand gesture, spotting a tiny patch of purple flowers. "So that crystal stuff you mentioned, would it affect plant life too?" He contemplated an answer for a moment. "I imagine so. Plants need water to live, though ah don't believe the rain would be too affected by the crystals in the earth. The sheer mass of water going up would dilute the effect. Probably why the sea life here is thriving more than the land based," he explained, circling around in the sun. She smiled down at him as he did laps, soaking in the sunshine with a content look on his face.

It was amazing to watch him swim, graceful in a way no human could ever be as his fins powered him along at such high speeds with so little effort. The green markings along his arms and back gave him surprising camouflage against the blue of the sea, appearing aquamarine in the light. Part of her wanted to jump in and surprise him in the part where the floor was still visible, white sand reflecting the light back to the surface. It was breathtaking how clear the water was here- but instead she settled on a question. "So how old are you anyway Cross? You certainly don't look old," she commented, letting her legs dangle off the edge of the mini cliff 8 metres up. 

He paused, looking up with that same twinkle. "Interested in my age now are we? Don't you worry frostqueen ah'm not too old for you~" he chuckled from the water, brushing back his windswept hair in mockery. He stopped when Cross noticed her stony glare, raising his hands in surrender. "Alright no need to be feisty... Ah'm about 700 years old, give or take a century," He waved idly, ducking beneath the waves for a moment to fix his hair he had accidentally messed up. "700!? What the fuck old man I'm only 22!" She declared, pointing a finger at him in outrage. "No fucking way are you telling the truth!" He rolled his eyes, continuing to fix his hair. "If you were living in a cave full of energon, you'd live to be that old too," He commented dryly, seemingly satisfied with his hair again. "Is that what it's called?" She rubbed her temples, taking in that she had punched a nearly century old being in the face. Twice. "Officially. Though most forget that was its name originally. Fer the best really, the less who know, the better." 

Eventually they set off again, another half our of travel going by before he stopped nearby a large uninhabited island full of trees and what looked like bountiful plant life. Turning to face her he grinned. "Congratulations, you kept yer end of the bargain," he praised making his blonde haired friend smirk and roll her eyes. "Told you. I don't see any cave though," she pointed out with a frown before he pointed downwards into the oddly clear water. She could see through the waves but knew that it was much further down that it appeared. "That would be because they're underwater. Not a very secret cave if it had such a direct entry way, now would it?"  
She shook her head, peering over the side of the canoe with cold hands, jolts of fear going through her as she did so. She was curious to see these crystals, the 'energon' which he kept referring back to but her fear was too great, making her shift back to the centre of the boat in disappointment and shame. "I could carry you down if you really want to see," he commented passively, trying to hide his excitement at the prospect of sharing something important with another. "I don't think I could hold my breath that long and I wouldn't be able to see anything," she made excuses, not wanting to go in the water at all. "Plus what about the boat and my clothes? I don't have another to change into!"

Looking at her seriously he rested his hands on the side of the canoe, careful not to tip it over as she griped the edges in panic. "Ah've been going a fraction of the speed I can really travel so you can keep pace. The boat can be docked at the island fer you and I know for a fact yer wearing a swimming costume there, don't lie," he pointed out blandly. She flushed pink and swatted his hands away as he went to poke the black strap that had slipped down her shoulder, pulling it back under her blouse. "As fer yer eyes... I can go down and grab something that would assist you with that. Now the question is, are you willing to trust me?"


	4. Leap of faith.

The first thing that registered was the intense cold- not from the deep water as it rushed by her skin but the cold from her terror of being under the water in the first place. It took a long time to think of an answer but Amelie agreed to follow through with the idea, and despite having a good 10 minutes to brace herself on the shore of the beautiful island nearby. With the canoe docked at the shore along with the clothes she had worn over the top of her swimming costume, she was 'ready' to face her fears, and go beneath the waves. When Cross returned, he had brought with him a pair of what looked like old fashioned goggles, fashioned with actual glass rather than plastic which you saw in modern day replicas. "They'll do for the short trip we're about to make," he answered her quizzical look, waiting for her in the shallows of the island. 

"I still don't think this is a good idea..." She murmured, walking over and letting him scoop her up in his arms. "You'll be fine sweet stuff," the merman reassured with a gentle smile, all smugness gone, "think of it like this; the scariest thing in the ocean is currently yer friend. Nothing else can even get close." He swam out to the spot they previously reached, and held her above the waves. Frost screwed her eyes shut but the stingray was having none of it. "Babe, look at me." Slowly, the blonde looked up, jade pupils gazing down at her from pools of black. He in that moment looked incredibly sincere, more than she had ever seen him before. "Nothing bad will happen to you. If you don't want to go ah won't force you, and we can go back to the beach we came from." He reassured, but at this point Amelie was committed. "No. I said I would... now let's go."

Now they were rapidly descending into the ocean at an incredible speed that the shades of blue that adorned their skin from the light changed hue at an alarming rate. Schools of tropical fish zipped past in flashes of silver and sparks of vibrant colour and all the while Amelie tried her best to hold her breath. The rapid heart rate didn't help with the shivering, burying her head in his chest. In response the merman's arms tightened around her as Cross found his way through the sea flora into an opening to an underwater tunnel, the twists and turns so fast everything passed by in a blur before they burst into the cavern with a mighty splash. Immediately the woman gasped for air, shaking intensely before removing the goggles to hang loosely around her neck, the stingray moving to the edge of the water and gently placing her down. 

"T-That was more fun than I ever want to have again..." She joked weakly, arms clinging to herself in an attempt to stop the shivering. He frowned from the water, a worried look on his face. "Is that... Normal?" Crosshairs gestured to her current state, and realising what he was meaning she nodded. "Yeah. I shiver when I get anxious or scared, I can't really do anything about it but stay warm..." The stingray thought for a second before gesturing to come over to him. Amelie frowned this time, confused. "You want me to come back in the water?" Rolling his eyes, he picked the shivering woman up to her protest. "The water is warm in a certain part of the cave, this is just the entryway to throw anything off that comes in," he sighed, careful to not lower her back into the water. Together he through a very hard to see tunnel just big enough for the two of them before emerging into what Frost guessed was the main chamber, illuminated by hundreds of crystals of multiple different shades from all across the spectrum. 

Large spires of glowing crystals protruded from the water in multiple places, decorating the surrounding area with ultramarines and turquoises that danced with the ripples they had created in their wake. Looking up the ceiling was similar to the hexagonal steps from the smaller island they had stopped to take a break on half an hour prior. In-between each tile, smaller individual gems shone resembling starlight. The walls were carved with impressive natural features, strong fault lines running down the side in an almost decorative manner. Various veins of what looked like some kind of metal could be seen dotted across the cave, in some places taking on a geometrical nature with faint iridescence. On one side, a small waterfall interrupted the walls natural lining, carving a groove into the face of the side with what looked like years of constant motion. Half of the cave however was not underwater, and had multiple levels which could easily be climbed and explored without fear of injuring one's self. The level closest to the water was the most expansive, decorated the most with the clusters of vibrant gemstones. There were other tunnels leading off elsewhere, but she dared not ask where they went just yet. Not when she was still freezing, and struggling to not stutter with every word she said. 

She was snapped out of her thoughts as she was lowered back into the water in the shallowest part of the cave, the surprisingly warm water reaching her waist. Watching her expectantly, Amelie lowered herself into the water and covered her face in embarrassment. "Sorry for freaking out... I just can't stop myself when it comes to this..." She mumbled under her hands to which Crosshairs just chuckled, settling into the water himself. "Everyone has their fears, you dealt with yers surprisingly well..." Her shivering stopped after a few minutes of silence and calm, a mutual understanding passing wordlessly between them. She used the time to examine the room closer, noting there were actually more tunnels than she first thought, the rooms and pathways distantly illuminated with hues of blues, greens and pink. Standing once again, she let the merman relax with his eyes closed while she explored the land part of the cave, going immediately to the closest pillar of light. Hesitantly, she placed her hand against the pillar to which it glowed at an almost blinding light for just a moment, before dulling back to its consistent intensity of deep blue. Intrigued, she placed a second hand against the gem, feeling a warmth rolling off its aura. Being in such close proximity, it made her feel incredibly happy- giddy even. Shamelessly, she pressed her face against the gem and giggled at the thought of what she was doing. "Very cute," Cross commented from the water, lazily drifting around with a smirk on his face. "Seems you made a new friend, how come you didn't greet me like that?" he grinned, laying on his back with his arms tucked behind his head as a pillow. "Ha. Leave me alone, I've never seen anything like it before. Plus it's warm, so I'm going to hug it." 

Crosshairs snorted in amusement at her antics, watching the previously terrified blonde do exactly that. "Never have i'd guessed that i'd see energon used in such a way. Humans..." He murmured to himself than Amelie, closing his eyes again. "Unspeakable power in a single fragment and you chose to hug it. I suppose that's better than wanting to weaponise it..." Amelie ignored his rambling, moving on to other patches of smaller, less intense versions of the giant pillar of energon. They were about the size of her hand from fingertip to wrist, growing in clusters that looked far too sharp to cuddle- not that she was planning on doing that anyway. Running her index finger over the smooth facets, they had the same reaction as the previous energon she had touched though less intense. With an excited smile she moved along the cave wall hand extended running her fingertips along the wall in fascination, gemstones that were caught in her wake glowing intensely, recognising her presence. It was exhilarating. She made it her mission to clamour up the higher sections of the cave and see if they would react too.

Watching in both amazement and confusion Cross followed the moments of a certain blonde, observing from the water with an open mouthed expression. Her child like glee as she flit around the area was infectious, every so often she would disappear behind a boulder before a flash of light would tell him exactly what she had paused for. Eventually She came back to the water after being satisfied with her upper cave exploration trip, eager to try the pillars there too. "How are you doing that?" He questioned with a subtle smile, swimming closer as she entered the water up to just above her waist. Just like before she placed a single hand on the gem, the room illuminated in a brilliant green hue before dulling back to its original state. "I don't know. Maybe it's alive and likes me way more than you?" She stuck her tongue out, leaning her back against the 'gem of unspeakable power'. "Either way it's warm... Does it not glow for you?" She smiled, feeling unexplainably more positive when in contact with the gemstone.

"No... It hasn't in years. Not fer me- or anyone else but the primes," he commented, joining her to lean against the crystal. "Primes being the protectors and effectively demi-gods of the energon in the sea created by a bloke called Primus. Real creatively named that bunch. Nobody of my kind has seen em' in centuries though- some think they don't exist and honestly I don't blame em'. I don't much believe in em' either," he crossed his arms against his chest, sighing in content. She took a moment to consider what he had said, glancing over to her current company. Up close, she could see the individual scales that were most prevalent around his neck, sea green markings running across the width of his arms on this forearm and upper arms. Scars marred his bare chest and back, all the way down to the fins and tail which moved lazily to keep himself afloat. The muscles he had gained from years of powering through the waves were less tense looking now he was finally at rest, eyes closed with a lurking smile of content. The tanned skin he had was likely from the numerous hours he spent swimming under the sun, complimenting the trim facial hair he had nicely. If she wasn't so aware how much of a douche he could be, she might of been charmed by this man- too bad he was a massive douche though.

"These primes... How do you know they could make this energon stuff react like that if you've never met one before?" He opened an eye, a contemplative look overcoming his expression. "Like most gods, they leave behind stories that were true- and those stories are told ta hundreds of people as time goes on. They become legends, which to us, is all we can go on right now since I doubt a prime is going to show up magically," he commented with a snort before continuing. "The primes however wer' said to have amazing abilities, all of them unique to that one prime. They shared one common trait however, and that was the energon. It's said that the stuff recognises the touch of a prime, acknowledging their power and aiding them in ways energon was never thought possible to use, in return for its own protection against the fools that seek to abuse it." 

Frost bit her lip, leaning against his arm gently to which he didn't seem to mind about. "So it's sentient?" He hummed a response, brushing his hand against hers absentmindedly. "Yes and no... Despite being 700 years old, there is a lot I don't know. The legend goes that tha Primes were created to combat the exact opposite of Primus, a deity hell bent on the destruction of all life... After the dust had been cleared after the battles, he gave the primes one last job. Protect his people and it's descendants, along with the energon which he ultimately became one with. No one knows if Primus died, or is living inside the crystals we know today. We know the gems provide life- they live and breathe it pardon the pun, but whether it's the influence of Primus or they've always been that way we'll never know. Part of me thinks it's both." 

They sat in comfortable silence after that, linking arms with a private smile. She hadn't noticed that his hands were webbed halfway down each finger linking it to the next, which was in her eyes fascinating. Reluctantly, he broke away from the contact and began moving the direction of a tunnel which broke off, gesturing for her to follow. "Now i'm not sure about you but ah'm hungry as hell. You're more than welcome to explore but don't get lost," Cross smirked as Amelie rolled her eyes, following him along in the water by wading through. 

The next room was considerably smaller, but was arranged in such an a specific way that she dared not touch a thing. The room had been fashioned into a literal oceanic kitchen, smooth granite held up above the water in a table like manner with large supportive blocks holding it in place securely. "Remember when I mentioned the volcanic vents?" he pointed out underneath the granite, a constant stream of ripples coming from underneath it. "It heats the granite so it's always hot and ready to cook on while staying dry." What looked like different varieties of seaweed grew in a neat corner patch, the land next to it within arms distance decorated with all kinds of vegetation and bushes that bore fruit, nuts, herbs and vegetables. In between it all were various tiny fragments of crystals, no doubt encouraging growth and providing light for the lack of sun. The other side of the room where the land had various large rockpools cut off from the main body of water, each one having a different species of fish inside. A handmade cage currently submerged next to it crawled with a very familiar looking type of crab. 

"This is actually... Really impressive. You did all of this?" the blonde woman gaped, making sure to steer clear of the cooking table in the middle. "I did. When you live for 700 years, you learn to get creative with what you can find." There was no real hint of smugness, only matter-of-fact as he went about preparing some kind of meal. Amelie merely stayed out of the way, watching in fascination as he worked. 

They ended up eating king shrimp and muscles together, served on simple handmade clay clays with some kind of crispy kind of seaweed which tasted surprisingly good- he grinned watching her enjoy the meal, boasting about his skill. “I’m honestly impressed. I had no idea what to expect but you’ve managed to create something very unique…” She gazed around again at the room, a soft smile on her face which Cross noticed, gazing intently at her. “Only the best,” He shot back with his signature smirk. 

“Have you ever had human food before?” She asked curiously, following him as they left the room to rejoin in the main chamber. She hopped up onto the edge of the land, resting her back against a smaller cluster of energon to keep warm- the glow never failed to amuse Amelie. Now content, he scratched his beard in thought before shaking his head. “Not the kind about now. 200 years ago, when people still believed in us folk we used to trade in certain parts of the world. Not anymore tho,” he looked downcast at the thought, making frost tilt her head in curiosity. “Did something happen?”

He looked up, the sombre air surrounding him now making him seem tired, and dreary with what he had seen. It made Cross look older than he normally did. “What happens to all things different to yer kind. A massacre of dozens who were allegedly friends with the humans- It might not seem many to you, but it was enough… All because of some god fearin’ loonies.” Amelie felt a pit drop in her stomach the way he spoke about it, knowing full well the cruelty of the world. “You were there, weren’t you…?” Crosshairs glanced up, expression stony before nodding minutely. It was barely noticeable, but that alone told her to drop the subject. Whatever happened that day had a lasting pain which would never be forgotten, and Frost could relate in a weird way with her current trauma of the water. In an attempt to lighten the mood, Amelie made an offer. 

“I could bring you things from my home? Different thing to try, things to see,” He perked up at the mention, slowly swimming in circles as he spoke. “…I’d like that.” The conversation lost its intensity after that and eased back into comfortable topics, discussing things that had changed and advances in the world he had since been out of contact with. He didn’t speak much in response, too interested in what Amelie had to say as she spun tales with words in a similar way she did for the children at breakfast this morning. Shaking her hair out of the bun it was previously in the re-clipped it with the hair pin to tumble down her left shoulder, leaning over the edge of the water she lay stomach down against the ground. Drawing patterns on the face of the water Cross smirked as the merman swam up to her, invading her space. 

“What?” She questioned suspiciously, peering down at the stingray with a mistrustful frown. “Nothing. I’m allowed ta be here, aren’t I?” He questioned innocently, a twinkle in his eye. Reaching up, he tapped the sea glass hairpin which he had left behind for her. “Like I said, the ocean suits you.” She shot a disbelieving smirk back at him, poking his forehead. “The ocean hates me. And I hate it, so we’re even. I don’t care if it suits me,” she waved her hand dismissively, letting him rest his arms on the ledge next to her. “Mmm… I don’t believe so. In fact, judging by the crystals and their reaction to you, you might be one of the more loved individuals by this giant puddle you despise so.” Amelie rolled her eyes, blowing a strand of hair away from her eyes. It seemed highly unlikely, judging by her childhood trauma. “The crystals don’t have a say. The sea terrifies me, glowy gemstones or no.”

For a long while they stayed still before an abrupt thought entered Frosts head making her panic. “Do you have any idea what time it is?” He thought for a second, head tilted. “Most likely around about sundown, though without the sun to navigate it’s hard ta say. Why?” Crosshairs frowned, head resting on his arms. “I have work tomorrow and it starts stupidly early! If it gets too dark I won’t be able to go back…” She frowned, moving to sit up but the stingray caught her hands, pausing her mid motion. “You could stay?” He offered with a hopeful smile, bordering on charming. “I can’t Cross, I have obligations to others I promised to do…” He watched her face for something but whatever it was he didn’t find, letting her hands go. He seemed disappointed with the answer, but accepted it regardless. “You’ll need to hurry. I imagine if it’s not dark already, it will be very soon.” The statement didn’t do anything to soothe her worries, only making them worse. “It took an hour to sail here before and that was in bright sunlight, how the hell will I get home in complete darkness!?” Cross grinned, beckoning her into the water once again. “Don’t you worry yer pretty little head, sunflower. I have a way to help.”

Once again Frost clung desperately to her merman companion as they dashed through the water, surfacing in record time to see the last light of day disappear over the horizon. Frost watched in horror as it did, the unwelcomed shivering making a return. "Don't worry about that, go get yer clothes on. I'll be waiting," He winked with a sly smile, dropping her off where the canoe had been anchored. It was frustrating wiggling out of her costume and into her clothes with her damp hair in the way but she didn't have time to be elegant, throwing the costume in the bottom of the canoe and paddling out to where Crosshairs waited, back turned to her. "I'm surprised you didn't try and peak," Frost commented, trying to distract herself from the thought of rowing in the dark. "I may of..." He waggled his eyebrows at her, moving away fast to dodge an oar to the face. "YOU FUCK!!!" He laughed, waving his hands in defence. "I didn't, calm down. I have more class than that, besides I have all the time in the world to sweet talk you into doing that," He ducked beneath the water to dodge again, cackling to himself at her bright red complexion. "If you're done being an asshole can you tell me the plan please?"

He sobered up for a moment, moving closer before reaching up to press something into her hand. Upon inspection it was a perfect shard of energon fashioned into a necklace, pulsing with blue in her hand. "Fasten it around your neck, and I'll always be able to see you. And now, you'll always be able to see me." The water around them became illuminated with a technicolor of green, the markings across the stingray's body becoming bioluminescent. His eyes that were once black with jade pupils now glowed a solid sea foam green, a smug grin shot in her direction. "The plan is ah'll lead you across the sea, and deliver you back to yer home." It sounded so simple in theory, the now pitch black mass of water that stretched in front of them making her nauseous. With a nod, she tied on the necklace, pausing to balance the boat when a large wave made it bob too much to one side.

Together they set off into the night, the sky incredibly clear once again as they navigated through the waters and occasional isolated islands towards the mainland. It was tough, and incredibly scary but together they stayed, Cross pausing every so often to measure the stars and keep an eye on his companion. They were just over half way when Cross decided to dive under her boat, the green hue illuminating everything around them in a 50 metre radius- she had to admit, it looked breathtaking watching him effortlessly coast through the water. When a larger wave came along, lifting the boat up he burst through from underneath, pushing the boat further onwards with a slight jolt. Forever a show-off, it seemed.

When finally they came to a stop at the shore of the water, boat discarded after an hour of use, Frost paused in front of the stingray, unsure of what to do. "...Thank you, Cross. Today was incredible, truly," She was sincere, face caught in a mixture of blues and greens. He smiled back, taking her hands in his with no hesitation. "Come again tomorrow?" He requested this time, not demanded. With a laugh she leant down and pressed a kiss on his forehead, moving to hand him back the necklace. "I will try my best. You might want your gem of unspeakable power back though," Frost winked, in response he shook his head. "Nah. You look pretty with it on, and I trust you. Keep it hidden though," he had an unreadable expression, refastening it around her neck with the utmost care. She tucked it beneath her shirt afterwards, a warm smile in the place of the scowl she normally had when talking to him.

"I'll see you soon Amelie," He confirmed, kissing her hand and bidding her adieu, before he vanished into the ocean, green glow slowly disappearing beneath the waves. All that was left, was the faint glow of her crystal tucked beneath her shirt, and the sound of water breaking against the sands under the stars.


	5. Dancing of the dreaming part II.

The morning sun had never felt so inviting as she watched the sunrise from her bed, clinging to them reluctantly as the day stretched out before Amelie in earnest. The memories of yesterday still felt so fresh, replaying them over and over creating a flurry of butterflies in her chest. The entire evening she had spent scrolling across various websites researching the ocean and the creatures in it in hopes to calm her raging fear of the sea, falling asleep beside the now gentle glow of the blonde's newly obtained crystal necklace. Dreams of blue waves that felt almost welcoming filled her mind, waking only to feel the creep of sunshine across her skin through curtains she had forgotten to close in her excitement to be home.

Showering to clean the salty feel from her hair she donned a figure hugging sundress and her swimming costume underneath, the sea glass hairclip adorning the waves of gold in a simple high ponytail. For a moment Amelie hesitated, before snatching up the necklace and tying it around her neck securely, hiding it from sight under her dress. The crystal seemed to dim instinctively, to which she was thankful. It felt oddly reassuring to have around, remembering to have a quick breakfast before leaving for work. 

The morning passed by slowly, too slowly for her liking as she served customers and ran favours for her boss with a polite smile. She caught him mid conversation while restocking the pastry shelves with some parents she had breakfast with the day before, listening in subtly as she worked. "...I've never seen anything like it, I almost thought I was dreaming. Green and blue lights shimmering through the ocean-" the mother shook her head, biting her lip. The shopkeeper hmm'ed in agreement, letting her go on. "I showed my kids before they vanished out of sight closer in the bay but whatever it was, it was something else."

The rest of the day sped up after that, making a few purchases before she ended her shift. She barely had walked out the door with new purchases of various kinds of food before the flock of 5 were upon her, wrapped in a overly excitable group hug of some kind. "Amelie Amelie! That was you last night wasn't it Amelie!?" They all clamoured as she finally got released, bidding them to walk with her while they spoke. She smiled at them and winked, tapping a finger to her lips in a shushing motion. "It may of been..." The group of children almost screamed with delight, Frost flinching at the sound before telling them to use their indoor voices. "Who was the green light?" One of the shyer children of the group enquired gently, tugging at her dress. Amelie smiled in response, pausing to kneel down next to them and ruffle their hair. "A friend of mine. We swam the ocean together following the stars, so I could find my home again," They all gasped in awe, starstruck. "This is our secret though," she winked, standing up again and continuing their walk. The nodded their head solemnly, swearing themselves to secrecy. "Nobody will know!" They giggled, before waving goodbye excitedly.

Reaching her home Amelie filled her backpack and canvas tote bag with the food she had bought and items that might be of interest to her merman friend, hurrying out the door (and almost forgetting to lock it in the process). The walk to the private beach was time consuming and straining at times but after the weeks of doing it she had grown less drained with each trip, almost skipping across the sand to the other side of the boulders. While she waited for her stingray to show up, the crab traps her brought in, the familiar burn of exertion making itself known as the rope bit into her skin. As she finished a shrill whistle of appreciation caught her attention, instinctively knowing exactly who it was. "After such a lovely goodbye you open with that..." She shook her head with a disappointed sigh, turning to face the mischievous merman stalking in the shallows with an incredibly smug expression. "Ah can't help it when I like what I see," he teased, gesturing up and down to her figure. Frost reacted with a middle finger, gesturing him to come over afterwards.

Together they sifted through the spoils of the ocean from the traps, Cross eager to get to the main event of the evening which was seeing the things Frost had brought. Laughing at his enthusiasm, she laid everything out from the two bags and let him choose which thing he wanted to inspect first. They spent the next hour going through various kinds of food both sweet and savoury, which yielded interesting results. Anything with lots of flavouring he tended not to like, while natural baked goods quickly became his favourite. It also seemed he preferred foods with a bitter edge to them, thoroughly enjoying the dark chocolate Amelie had shared with him. She gazed over as he finished the buttered croissant, an amused smile playing on her lips. "You sure you should be eating all of this? I mean if our biology is completely different some of this might be harmful for you to eat..." The merman snorted, fixing her with a blank stare. "Believe me, it would be worth it if anything happens. Being confined to the sea? Everything has a similar taste after awhile."

"Similar taste? Tastes pretty different to me," she grinned as she stood up, moving to take off the dress she had worn over her swimming costume and join him in the water with two glasses of red wine they had tried together and both ended up liking. Amelie didn't miss the glance up and down her body when she did so, rolling her eyes. "Calm down pancake man. Still clothed." He flushed slightly, not expecting to get caught but not looking guilty either. "Well you haven't been eating sea food for 700 years..." He pointed out, clearing his throat. The blonde woman hmm'ed in thought, gazing out into the ocean while lying in the spray of the ocean waves of the shallows. "...Do you ever wish you could be human?" She murmured, handing him his second glass of the evening. 

He accepted graciously, sitting next to her as the waves rushed past every few seconds. "No. Not after all the damage that has been done to the world because of em'. Nothing in the world could make me walk on land even if given the chance to return to the sea after," He took a sip of the wine, eyes distant like he was reliving a memory. "There is a saying in photography when I studied it... 'Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints. It's a shame people don't follow that advice." The merman looked down at his glass, smiling to himself. Raising an eyebrow, Amelie asked why he was smiling. Cross turned to her in earnest, "I was thinking the world could do with more people like yerself. Trustable, caring, dependable. Downright gorgeous," He smirked before continuing seriously. "But willing to try more than anything. I admire that about ya," he tried to play it off as a casual remark afterwards, slightly embarrassed but for the sake of saving his ego Frost said nothing. As of late he had been less assholeish... Which was a nice change. He was pleasant company when not trying to drag her out to sea against her will- which by now she had long since forgiven. Swirling the liquid in the glass and taking a sip herself, she leant against his arm, gently at first when he tensed up at the contact, before he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and rested his head on hers. The moment was peaceful with only them around, and the warm water creating an atmosphere of relaxation. 

"I really enjoyed yesterday y'know, despite all the moments I was terrified for my life." Amelie's voice was quiet, respectful of the mood. He said nothing in response, choosing to squeeze her shoulder reassuringly. "I know I judged you harshly when we first met, and our follow up meetings didn't help... But I don't regret my choices. You actually make me feel less worried about going out into the water whenever you're around." Cross moved his head away to gaze down at her with a smile, one that seemed less for show and more real than the others. "I guess I wanted to say thank you. Yesterday was the most incredible experience of my life, and I can't offer much in response other than thank you- for trusting me, for helping me home on that terrifying yet magical boat ride..."  
Unable to think of more to say Frost laughed, hiding her face. "I just really appreciate everything." He said nothing again, ruffling her hair which came free lightly from her high ponytail. "Yer welcome, love. I'd gladly do it over again." Watching the sun begin to set, the horizon bleeding with reds and golds the stingray shifted, speaking up again. "Sing for me?" The request was abrupt and completely unexpected, lowering the glass from her lips Amelie spoke up, careful not to disturb the moment. "...Do you have any requests?" 

He thought for a second, jade eyes staring down into hers intently before providing an answer to the question. "Dancing and the dreaming." With a gentle grin Amelie thought of the words, forming the soothing melody in her mind before settling into the waves, letting the words carry over the constantly shifting landscape.

"I'll swim and sail on savage seas  
With never a fear of drowning,  
And gladly ride the waves of life  
If you would marry me.  
No scorching sun nor freezing cold  
Will stop me on my journey...  
If you will promise me your heart,  
And love me for eternity?"

There was a pause as she remembered the second verse, lips parted and ready to continue before they were snatched away, Crosshairs singing the next verse with a slight smile at Amelie's surprised look.

"My dearest one, my darling dear  
Your mighty words astound me-  
But I've no need for mighty deeds  
When I feel your arms around me-"

It was intimate the way he sang, not at all what she had expected. It was rough, but still pleasant to listen to. With a laugh, frost sang the next verse in turn.

"But I would bring you rings of gold  
I'd even sing you poetry,  
And I would keep you from all harm,  
If you would stay beside me." 

He rolled his eyes good naturedly at her look to continue, nudging an arm into her side as he picked up where Amelie had left off. Then together, they sang the chorus.

" I have no use for rings of gold!  
I care not for your poetry,  
I only want your hand to hold-  
I only want you near me."

"To love and kiss to sweetly hold,  
For the dancing and the dreaming.  
Through all life's sorrows  
And delights,  
I'll keep your laugh inside me.  
I'll swim and sail a savage seas  
With never a fear of drowning  
I'd gladly ride the waves so white  
if you will marry me!"

With a roaring laugh they both pulled each other into the waves, losing their glasses of wine but too caught up in the gaze of the other to care. Crosshairs wrapped Amelie in his arms, holding her close to his chest as they laughed still. As the laughter died down and tender smiles took its place, the merman moved to tentatively rest his forehead on hers, eyes closing almost reverently. A hand floated up to cup his cheek, both savouring the moment between them. 

"Come live with me?" It was a whispered question, both of them already knowing the answer but he asked anyway, heart panging with sadness at the answer he knew was coming. Moving away but not by much, Amelie whispered back. "I can't... People here need me..." He gazed at her sadly, a smile still present but lessened by the reply. He understood, but it didn't make it any less sad to hear. "One day I'll convince you. Yer my treasure Amelie, and I'll wait patiently until you let whisk you away from the shores of this island."

The rest of the evening was companionable silence, holding on to one another before the light disappeared completely, and the two were forced to part ways. Every day became that routine; wait until after work, visit Crosshairs, and spend the rest of the evening with him until the night had fully settled in. Some nights, she stayed over despite knowing better, exchanging old stories by the makeshift campfire with one another late into the night. He was always there when she woke, making sure she had enough time to run home and change before she was late for work. 

On days she had off, they practiced going into the ocean together to try and tame her fear, each visit becoming easier than the next, always careful to find somewhere shallow before gradually moving to deeper waters. When feeling ambitious, they would sail to Cross's lair with each trip taking less time, The crystals glowing around her spontaneously without even needing to be touched some days. Crosshairs began jokingly referring to her as Amelie Prime, next great leader of the ocean people- which normally ended in a splash fight she never quite ended up winning. It was hard to win a water fight against a creature who lived IN the water. He showed her more of the cave, another of the tunnels leading to his 'cave of wonders' as he liked to call it. The whole room was covered in treasures most likely dating back to the renaissance era. Upon the accusation of being called a gold digger, he shrugged his shoulders in response. "I prefer magpie. Shiny things attract my attention." Browsing through the piles of gold and silver things Frost couldn't help but laugh. "Y'know I thought the whole treasure hoard thing was just a myth but I see that part actually does stand true. You pimp." 

The merman sulked a little after that, but after awhile he couldn't resist telling the tales of various items and statues which littered the room between giant crystals of multicoloured energon, looking remarkably clean and undamaged for their age. "You literally have a museum down here, the amount of treasures lost to the sea- you've been collecting them all?" Cross straightened up with pride, happy to boast about his exploits. "All the greatest naval battles of this century or any other. The paintings that met the briny blue were unsalvageable, but the rest have steadily been gathered for hundreds of years." Amelie gaped, genuinely amazed to hear that he had been there. He reminisced about the battles throughout history, correcting mistakes that had been documented down by the humans and telling the real events which had transpired. The blonde hooked on to every word as he enacted fights, pulling a decorative sword from a pile and mimicking a fight to the death he had witnessed between an infamous pirate captain and a ship he had boarded in the hunt for treasure. Crosshairs was positively thrilled to have someone to tell stories of his past to and have them actually listen- when it was time to leave, he attempted to persuade them to stay even more to no prevail. 

More days were spent in the beach though most had started to drift into the sea whenever possible, Amelie having purchased a special waterproof case for her phone for the specific reason of taking pictures together and filming their misadventures without fear of breaking it. 

"Why is this so important again?" Crosshairs frowned, brows furrowed as Amelie held the device in front of them to snap a picture. He didn't suspect Amelie to show others, but the act of pictures with him in them seemed pointless. "You'll see, wait until they build up. You'll realise exactly why once we have a bunch." He didn't question her judgement, and if it made his companion happy he was more than content to play along. The device accompanied them on their trips to shallow waters where Amelie learnt to overcome her fear, propped up by rocks to record the whole thing. It rapidly became second nature to record their time together, letting the girl take pictures of him swimming underwater and secretly enjoying all the attention he was getting.

Their first true kiss was caught on film when Amelie swam on her own through clear waters where her feet no longer touched the ground, without shaking or panicking. So happy with her progress they were caught up with giddy excitement, in each other's arms in an instant- to pause inches away, face to face. "May I...?" A question, no demands anymore. She answered it with actions instead of words, lips melding together in harmony. Afterwards, they were a little closer connected than before, both feeling anxious butterflies dance in their abdomen. 

Frost's favourite picture however would be when they swam together- not sailed, swam, in the dwindling light of the sun. The Light behind her partner, the picture framed perfectly of him having just come up from the water, droplets cast in an almost divine light. Golds fused with amber glinted off his tan skin, eyes gleaming with affection directed completely at her, a smile beginning to form on his mouth. When Amelie thought it was time to show him the giant photo album they had amassed together, he swore they were worth more than any treasure kept in his cave. "You were right. You're always right," he murmured against her neck, leaving a lingering kiss. "My gorgeous ocean flower, ah' really should listen to you more- but don't let it go to your head," he teased, rubbing a calloused thumb over her cheek. "Mmm i'm sure I could say the same thing to you." That night Amelie barely slept, going through all the moments she had spent with Crosshairs and for once, the ocean didn't bring a feeling of ever present dread. It brought comfort, and peace as the distant sound of waves breaking on the shore lulled her to sleep, knowing out there somewhere Cross was most likely thinking of her too.


	6. Uncertain shores - part I.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two either tomorrow or the day after with luck.

The first morning of June was scorching hot, but the day was too perfect to be wasted hiding indoors, making sure to layer on waterproof suncream with a new bag slung over her shoulder usually meant for diving. Today she intended on surprising Cross, after hinting at it for the past few days. She had the whole weekend off, and was doing a last minute supply run at the store she worked at before heading off with her trusty canoe she stored hidden on the private beach with her favourite stingray to lands far from the shoreline. A smile grew on her face as she saw her boss exchanging with a customer, deep in conversation. When spotted he waved Amelie over with a laugh. "There's the little ocean explorer! Off to explore the reefs again I imagine?" Responding with a grin, she gestured over to the bag she had left at the door. "Yessir! Just grabbing a few things for when I take a break. Planning on spending the whole day out there if I can," She was comfortable talking to her employer whom was incredibly understanding and very aware of her fears Amelie was trying to overcome. Watching her make progress, he smiled proudly. "I'm very glad to hear that lass," the shopkeeper ruffled her hair playfully, swatting his hand away. "I don't need more messy hair, the ocean does that for me plenty!"

Browsing through the many things for sale she plucked a pair of sunglasses off of the display, acutely aware of being watched. Glancing up, the same customer from before had finished talking to the shop owner and was now looking at her. He was very tall with dark blonde hair that had been slicked back to perfection, amber eyes gleaming. Despite the intense heat he was paler than everyone else, looking completely at ease in his smart looking cream coloured dress shirt and black trousers. A dimmed white tie adorned his neck, knotted neatly under a deep tan waistcoat. Trying not to stare she looked away quickly, eyes snapping back when Amelie heard him approach. "My apologies for staring, I do believe we have not met?" His smile wasn't malicious, and working almost every day here many people had introduced themselves in various fashions. She just wasn't expecting someone with such an interesting dress sense to come by. "I am known as Steve."

She tried not to grin, such an imposing and impressive figure having a name such as Steve. "I'm Amelie, it's very nice to meet you," the smaller blonde greeted, shaking his hand which he accepted with an air of elegance. "Are you local?" She queried half heartedly, playing with the glasses in her hand idly as she tried on another pair. She shook his head, thin lips pressing into a smile. "I am not, I came from very faraway places to be here on this day." Steve seemed keenly interested to converse, not noticing her ever present urge to flee to the beach where she knew Cross would be waiting. Her saving grace came when the shop keeper pulled his attention away again, Frost managing to weasel her way to the counter and pay for everything in a self checkout fashion before the stranger had realised she was gone, already skittering down the steps towards the beach with an eager grin- the encounter already long since forgotten.

"Crosshairs!!!" Amelie exclaimed excitedly, practically bounding towards the shoreline with her canoe already halfway in the water by the time she caught a glance of the stingray somewhere just past the rocks. Loading her items into the canoe along with her clothes that had been over her swimming costume, she greeted the stingray with an enthusiastic smile, standing knee deep in the water. Their hands melted together effortlessly in greeting, fingers interlocked as the blonde leant down and pressed a kiss to his forehead affectionately. "You're awfully cute today," He commented quietly, a fond yet suspicious smile growing on his face. Frost returned it, eyes twinkling with anticipation. The upbeat vibe was hard not to catch with Frost so affectionate. "Well... I have a surprise today. I've been building up to it steadily with your help but... I think, if you like-" she cut off, wondering if she was being too forward but was gestured for her to continue but the merman's slight headtilt. "I could stay the night with you...?"

The reaction took a few seconds to sink in, dark eyes widening in something akin to a cat before he pounced, pulling the girl into the water and into his arms, protectively nuzzling her with an affectionate rumbling which sounded suspiciously like a purr. "...Crosshairs?" Amelie murmured, caught in his embrace. There was no response other than a comforting squeeze, to which Frost gave into and returned the hug. "You really mean it?" he mumbled through the contact, voice tickling her skin. "About staying the night...?" She laughed quietly, running a hand through his hair gently. "...Yeah. I do." He didn't let go, content to stay there for awhile but after awhile they broke apart, Cross clearing his throat with a bashful smile. "WELL. We best get travelling yeah? It's a long ride and ah' have to go so slow fer ya to keep up!" Amelie said nothing, letting him tactfully retreat with his pride in tact while she clamoured into her canoe carefully. It was a long way to the cave, and she was going to enjoy every moment of it.

The ride went much faster than before, islands seemingly sailing by as they kept up conversation over the waves and beyond. Jokes were shared and occasionally Crosshairs would show off by speeding ahead though never going out of her sight. Sometimes they would take a brief brake on a shallow reef, admiring the colourful fish that swam by and the plant life that grew all around. Enjoying the sun on his skin Cross was more than content to drift lazily in the waves as Amelie explored a little during her break, canoe securely docked on a sand bar. The ocean didn't seem as scary anymore with him around, watching smaller opalescent fish dart around her in large schools which retreated at the touch but never went far. Blue tangs and clownfish swam leisurely by, a single stingray crossing paths with her and deciding to swim in circles around Amelie which she laughed at. "Is this your doing?"

Cross perked up at the mention from his sunbathing, noticing the smaller stingray and suddenly looking very abashed. "Ah- ahm... Yeah," he offered weakly, embarrassed about something but also looking very pleased under it all. Frowning, Frost pushed the question for more answers. A faint tint crawled up his neck, decorating his face with a pale hue of pink. "Well ah... It's a thing tha happens when... When merpeople ... We-" He groaned, turning a darker shade of pink and shifting nervously. "When we bond with others. The sea life similar to ourselves see you as our mate... an well, they tend to like you a lot when they know yer chosen," He looked away, not wanting to see the reaction that Frost would have until she swam over, the stingray in tow. Reaching up, she gently turned his face to look at her and press a soft kiss to his mouth. She wasn't going to admit she loved the startled and completely flustered expression covering his face. "Well I think that's adorable, Cross."

Cross flushed at the comment, seemingly lost for words. When he did find them, they were tentative and fragile like spun glass. "You... 'Ave no problem with this? That they consider you my- my mate?" Frost lifted an eyebrow, unconcerned by what the stingray was implying. "Should I be?" Enjoying the warmth of the sun Amelie drifted closer, letting the lazy current carry her around in what felt like circles. "N-no I'm just surprised, is all... Figured it would take more 'splaining than that to help yer understan..." For awhile he stayed silent and oddly shy and taking the chance to shoo away the smaller stingray before clearing his throat for the second time that day.

"I reckon we should keep going. We have all day to play with once we get home," Cross explained with a careful smile, gesturing outwards to the horizon. "Not that far to go now." They sailed onwards, the blazing sun reaching towards midday as the two arrived at the island Frost knew as the stingray's lair, despite it being hundreds of metres underwater. Frost was already eagerly docking the canoe on the shore line, bags being left in the waves ready for pick up once she was inside. Instead of carefully walking into the water like she had done so many times before Amelie ran towards Cross with arms outstretched, laughter and a large grin apparent when strong arms swept her off her feet and further into the water securely in the stingray's grasp. "You know, confidence is an attractive look on you," He commented passively, a knowing twinkle in his eyes. Frost only smirked, covering her nose as they dived down together.

Unlike the first time the goggles were no longer needed, her eyes adjusting to the water with time and effort which hadn't been easy, but when the true beauty of the seascape came into view, with thousands of beautiful coloured fish and the spectrum of blues that danced across her vision it was breathtaking. Crosshairs grinned at her reaction, swimming faster through the water as they entered the cave and burst through to the surface, each taking breaths of air. An exhilarated giggle wracked her small frame, encircling her partner with a tight hug. "That never ceases to make me nervous but wow... I'm so glad I'm not so afraid anymore!" Cross only smiled, nudging her face affectionately with his own.

All of frost's bags were retrieved after 2 trips, a slight grumbling from the stingray but it was quickly quelled when Frost revealed she had brought a number of items specifically just for him. "They aren't for right now, since we have an entire weekend to play with... But since you said you can't really keep up to date with everything I brought books and poetry, music and videos- I even have a case for my phone so we can take it into the water if need be," the blonde grinned bashfully. "A whole weekend? You mean you can stay for more than just one day?" The excitement in Crosshair's voice was almost verging on ecstatic, eyes widening with a hopeful grin. "Yeah! I start early Monday morning but I have both days off, and since I mentioned I was going to be away camping out those days nobody should be looking for me." A low purr filled the air again, to which made Frost laugh. 

"Are you a cat of some kind? You keep doing that," the stingray frowned, the purring disappearing as Frost rejoined him in the water, arms wrapping around their waist again and held close. "Doing what?" Amelie reached up a hand and ran it through his hair, letting her nails massage his scalp and the purring returned after a few moments. "That, whenever you're 'happy' I guess, you start to purr..." He was silent as she continued to play with his hair, leaning into the touch as Amelie used her other hand too. "It's just a reaction I guess. Nothing much to be said about it," he replied with eyes closed, whining when Amelie finally moved away. "You can have more later you, we still have a good 7 to 8 hours before sundown. I want to do something fun today not stay here always," she smirked at his indignant squawk and attempt to defend his home, arguing how lovely it was in comparison to the boxes humans lived in their whole lives.

Eventually he calmed down enough to agree that yes, maybe today would be better spent doing other things and so their planning began. When they left the cave again it was much faster than the last time, utilising the prime position of the sun to navigate their way through the waters to what Cross had dubbed the 'hunting grounds'. To Amelie, it was a much darker stretch of the ocean less than a mile away from the cave they were using as their home base. Within the darker part of the ocean vast swathes of bubbles littered the surface, stretching out for many more miles before any islands came into view. The marker of the hunting grounds was an incredibly small island which had grown a tree somehow, the native marine birds making it their favourite place to perch before setting off in search of suitable nesting grounds. For now it was empty making it ideal for Crosshairs to retrieve what looked like a trident and a net hidden away behind cleverly placed stones and seaweed. If someone hadn't known they were there, chances were they would be lost to time never to be found again.

With a determined look, the stingray tugged the spear free from the rocks and stonework, net following after as Amelie watched in fascination. "You use a spear?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow, a small grin forming. He rolled his eyes with a sarcastic look shot back, spear resting over his shoulder as he swam in the shallows preparing to set off. "Of course- what did you think ah' used? My disarming good looks? Hate ta' break it to ya sweetheart but I don't think these fish are that smart. Nah these are only food resources for the bigger, more sentient life, ya get me? As harsh as it sounds..." She nodded in understanding, phone ready to take pictures and record. "Make sure ya get my good side!" He laughed, before taking off into the water and in seconds he vanished beneath the waves. There was no break in the water despite the keen observation skills the blonde possessed until at least 5 minutes later, a familiar looking stingray breaking the waves with a mighty looking fish pierced on the end of his weapon. Even from 200 metres off she could tell he had practiced endlessly the art of spearing fish and capturing them, a stern glare on his features as he worked. By the first pass he came by, he had already skewered 4 mackrel, and a mighty looking tuna. With a grin he dropped off his spoils so far, artfully speared through the head, before moving off to catch more. It was fascinating to watch him move, so into his element everything else seemed to drain away and only himself and the target existed. 

By the end of the session they had a net full of all kinds of fish, 2 particularly large tuna weighing down his net which he smirked at. "My favourite- besides the crabs and mackerel of course. You can't beat freshly caught!" Upon questioning the large amount of fish, his grin persisted. "Well normally a'hm only fishing for me. This time i'm fishing for four." "...Cross there's only two of us." He shook his head, loading the fish onto her boat and helping her get in. "Well that's where ya wrong. Where we're goin next is to meet my boys!"

They set sail again, returning to the island shoreline where some of her campfire gear still resided, set neatly aside by some boulders that dotted the beach. Exiting the canoe Amelie looked around in anticipation, excitement glimmering in her eyes when Cross pointed out two blurry shapes in the water. It wasn't clear what they were at first, but as they drew ever closer it became apparent they were two large stingrays to which Cross exclaimed in joy "Leadbarb! Bronzecoil!" It was like a family reunion, with hugs and splashing all moving to cuddle or attempt to cuddle the other. In the end Cross was pinned in the water by what looked like two very excitable sea pancakes, to which he eventually pushed off with laughter. "Alright alright ah' missed you lot too. How are my boys doing then?..." 

There was a few minutes where Cross spoke to the stingrays, positively radiating happiness which was easily conveyed through body language. It was interesting to watch, some of the enthusiasm catching on as he turned to Amelie who had been temporarily forgotten. Taking her wrist he lead her over to the shallows where the two stingrays greeted her excitedly, nudging her legs and seemingly demanding attention. "These are my boys, Leadbarb," he pointed to the slightly larger one, "and Bronzecoil, two cow nose stingrays as you call their species. Rescued em' when they got lost from the flock they belonged to and raised em' as my own. When they were old enough to go they decided to stay with me and we've been together ever since." Crosshairs seemed incredibly proud of the two, guiding her hand palm flat to run across their backs, first one and then the other. "Yer lucky, they already like you." 

Amelie sat down in the water and greeted them properly, thoroughly enthralled with them. "Oh you two are precious oh my goodness! Aw I love you both already and we've only just met," she cooed, letting them settle on her lap and nuzzle away, both clearly enjoying the attention. While Frost was kept busy, Cross was already rummaging through the net and snatching up fish. With a smug grin he threw two mackerel into the water beyond, and within seconds there was a symphony of splashing and screeching from Amelie, cold water covering her face to which her original stingray just laughed. 

"YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!!!" If Cross didn't have super human reactions he would of taken a very angry fist to the face, dodging it by mere centimetres. He spent the next five minutes apologising with laughs, avoiding his now annoyed partner. When eventually the two had calmed down, they spent time feeding the stingrays in turns, Frost sure to keep clear of the frantic splashing as they darted around to grab the fish. It was almost endearing to watch the way Cross kept up with the two stingrays, taking it in turns feeding and giving attention to them as though they really were his family. It wasn't uncommon to see the stingray grinning, laughing at something he had done with an air of smugness but these were genuine smiles- and Amelie found herself smiling along with him, laughing when he grumbled about Leadbarb needing a diet.

Eventually when the twins were full, Crosshairs bid them goodbye with nuzzles and pats, watching them swim away to where they usually reside until visited. The rest of the remaining sunlight was spent gathering usable wood from the island to create a small campfire, bark from trees used as kindle and the rocks surrounding to keep the blaze from spreading. Stray coconuts ripened and fallen from their trees that had been gathered were expertly cracked open by Crosshairs, serving as their beverage for the evening as one of the large tuna was gutted and carefully skewered by Frost. Now she understood why he requested to bring small metal skewers with her in the boat before they set out today. 

With the lingering evening sun beginning to gradually dip lower in the sky the two ate in blissful silence, enjoying the scenery with a skewer in one hand and half a coconut in the other. How Crosshairs had managed to perfectly split it in half without spilling a drop? Amelie would never know.

"Did you enjoy today?" Crosshairs asked casually, taking a bite of his tuna with a vague grin. Amelie smirked right back at him. "You know I did. Don't stroke your ego..." She shifted a bit closer to the stingray, resting her head on his shoulder with a joking huff. He responded by leaning down and snatching a bite from her tuna, retreating with an amused cackle. This time he was deigned with a playful roll of her eyes, and an offer to have more as it was offered up to him with a fond smile. The stingray raised a brow in response but didn't question it, reaching down gently to steal the rest with razor sharp teeth. It was fascinating to watch, careful to avoid her fingers as he bit off the last piece with a satisfied hum. In response, Cross did the same for Frost, letting her daintily finish off his skewer before the two disregarded them on the shore and sipped what remained of the coconuts in companionable silence. 

It was hard to not appreciate all that had happened, Crosshairs grinning as Amelie finished hers first and began scraping out the delicious insides of the shell. He mimicked her, ears twitching happily. "Funny how about a month or two ago I thought you were just something of fiction," the blonde murmured with a playful nudge, glancing upwards. "Funny how 'bout a month or two ago I figured all humans were assholes. I'm still half right," he smirked, pulling her closer with his free arm despite the headshake. "Unbelievable. You'll always be a wiseass won't you?" He hummed, moving to press a careful kiss on the top of her head. "Maybe. Only for you sweetspark."

The evening set in quickly after that, the fire put out with sand and water before any evidence was carted off to the boat. The rest of the fish they had caught were left to the local wildlife as an easy meal, reef sharks and seagulls circling hungrily as they returned to the original side of the island and back to the cave. This time around, the bioluminescence of the sea floor began to show with the fading light of the sun, a brief glimpse of what breathtaking beauty it would be when the sun sank deep below the horizon. All too soon, they had returned to the cave, and were settled down for the evening. Amelie had packed a sleeping roll and pillows, an extra blanket to keep away the bitter cold that dwelled down in parts of the cavern but surprisingly the air was warm and pleasant, choosing to make her 'nest' against one of her favoured energon pillars. Crosshairs grinned lazily from the water, circling the edges as she moved over to bid him goodnight.

"Ah' still say you can rest in the water, it's warm enough..." It was half convincing, dipping in a hand into the water illuminated by the various crystals dotted around the water. Without the sunlight around, the cave felt so much dimmer than before. "You know that would be a terrible idea. My skin would wrinkle and be all horrid." She scrunched up her nose before kneeling down at the edge, lying down so her head peeped over the ledge just enough to reach down at perfect height to press a kiss to Crosshair's lips- something that caught him off guard completely. 

He was silent in response, frozen in place for a few seconds before returning it, intimate and slow. They broke apart too soon, a fond gaze glimmering in his eyes, colours dancing across their skin in so many different shades. "...Rest well Amelie. I'll see you tomorrow?" His tone was hesitant, hands raising up to capture hers in his. A gentle laugh was his answer, forehead resting gently against Crosshair's. "No promises. That water looks much more inviting than my boring earth." One last kiss before she moved away, moving back to kneeling. "I'll see you tomorrow Crosshairs. Sleep well too."

Crosshairs was the first to break the mutual gaze, diving underwater and disappearing gradually along a passageway that lead to where he chose to rest. With a happy grin and a tired yawn Amelie retreated to her own hideaway as she changed to her nightdress, pillar resonating light and heat on contact before settling into a dull hum against her back, pillows and blankets protecting from the rough earth beneath her sleeping bag. She fell asleep holding her crystal tightly in one hand, dreams taking hold before she could even fully rest her weary head against the pillow.

In her sleep images of gold and white flashed before her eyes, silver and copper accompanying every so often with a distant laugh. A gurgle of delight, followed by an excited trill as the water came into a dull focus before her vision. Protective arms wrapped around her, circling her being easy as she watched the scene play out from behind someone else's eyes. A hazy face came into view, silver horns and copper glasses the only real details Amelie could see- but they felt safe. A feeling of warmth and serenity washed over her under their gaze, another laugh sounding out. "Isn't she a beauty? Oh she's absolutely wonderful! What a shame though..." A tiny hand reached out to grab onto their nose, causing rambunctious laughter from out of view. "Perhaps the little one does agree with me about your nose, it is rather big." A fake glare was directed off handed-ly at whoever spoke before a chuckle took its place. "Nothing wrong with my nose! It's a fine thing and I don't see the ladies complaining about my looks. Don't you agree seashell?" A chorus of laughter from all parties involved followed, but whatever the dream was faded away as tempered shouting slowly awoke Amelie.

Were it not for the shouting rousing her from sleep she would of remembered the dream long enough to write it down, but life had other plans. A groan rose up from her throat, shuffling away from the pillar and out of her sleeping bag to address Crosshairs who was shouting rather loudly. Rubbing her eyes she stood at the edge of the water, still half asleep. "mmh... Crosshairs what the fuck are you doing? It's like... Probably not even 8.A.M yet, stop shouting..." The Shouting swiftly ceased though with her eyes now clear Amelie swiftly realised 2 things.

1: That the person shouting most definitely wasn't Crosshairs, and 2; the person who wasn't Crosshairs did NOT look happy to see her. This new merman was actually furious, and had she not darted back in time to avoid his lightning fast grab for her ankle, she would of fallen face first into the water. A series of hissed words rasped out of his throat but Frost refused to go anywhere near the water, backing up to where her possessions now were. "Who in pit's name are you!? You shouldn't be here!"   
"No no no, who are you?! This is Crosshair's territory get out!" Was the first thing Amelie shouted back, looking around for some kind of weapon to arm herself. This merman looked ready to try and climb his way out of water to get to her and she wasn't inclined to believe it was to give her a friendly hug. A number of sharp looking rocks were all she could find scattered across the floor, pitching one immediately at the merman now darting away from the projectile with a curse she couldn't understand. She was about to throw another when Crosshairs finally arrived on scene, and took 3 seconds to fully understand what was going on. His gaze glanced from Amelie, to the new arrival, and then swiftly back at Amelie who was mid swing.

"Well... Shit. This didn't go as planned." The new arrival seemed even angrier at the response, in their face in a second. "WHY IS THERE A HUMAN HERE?! ARE YOU SOME KIND OF FOOL?!" 

The two argued intensely for quite some time, mostly in their own language which Frost couldn't understand- at times they looked ready to maul the other but as the minutes passed by and the new arrival began to 'pace' with a glare still on his features, Crosshairs seemed to be slowly chipping away at whatever argument they seemed to be having. When he eventually gave a long suffering sigh, Drift gestured to the only human in the room in a manner that said 'explain yourself. Why this one?'

Whatever Crosshairs said in response made him pause, frown not as harsh but a fragment of curiosity rooted itself in their gaze. When he added more to the statement he turned to Amelie with a gaze that was unreadable. "Is this true? That you saved his life from nets, and kept his secret?" She still wanted to throw the stone at his face but the question/statement caught her off guard, only able to nod yes. They sighed again, combat stance relaxing before Crosshairs finally spoke in her own language again. "Amelie, show him the thing. With the energon pillars," he elaborated when a confused expression crossed her features, not understanding why he wanted to do that but entertaining his request regardless. The glow from the giant gemstone was enough to make her squint, turning her face away while still holding on. The new comer visibly paled at the sight, face caught between intense shock and utter disbelief.

"...How is a human a descendant of Primus?" He was torn between gazing at Frost or looking at Crosshairs for answers but the two remained silent, unsure how to answer themselves. "Thas' what I was hopin' you could tell us."

The rest of the morning was spent introducing the new comer who was named 'Drift' to Amelie and vice versa. Both were hesitant to go near one another at first but the two seemed to settle from Crosshairs playing peacemaker, deciding to talk while breaking fast in the 'kitchen'. Frost got an awful lot of information discussing the Primes and Primus himself that morning, Drift finally comfortable around Amelie enough to explain his earlier surprise. Drift turned out to be a koi merman, hailing from the seas of Japan and China where he served as a warrior to the high council. After a series of events however serving under such high powers felt wrong to him, and instead moved to warmer, less rule restricted waters in the west. 

"I was there when the last Prime known to our kind went into hiding, vowing to protect the deposits of energon scattered throughout your world from human meddling and any who would seek to bring back Unicron from the depths in which his body resides according to legend." He recalled to the pair, both preparing crabs from the pond which Frost had retrieved them from on the volcanic headed granite. "Their name was Optimus Prime. A benevolent soul set on seeing the good in anyone they came across- and whenever they came into contact with the energon, it would resonate with them in the same way it did with you. If anything, you seemed to make it glow brighter- which begs the question; why?"

Crosshairs snorted in disbelief. "Prime wasn't that grand, it was the seeing the good in everyone that caused the war- the going into hiding and protecting the energon." Drift shot him a particularly dirty look but shook his head as the first crab pieces were ready to eat. "I'm more curious as to why you showed up today, is this normal?" The question was directed at Crosshairs but was answered by Drift, rolling his eyes with a glare at him. "He summoned me here actually. Needed someone to look after the stingrays for a day and 'I need your knowledge on something'. Didn't figure that something would be a human, no offence..." He nodded at frost with a half apologetic tone, to which she accepted with a faint nervous smile. "So why did you need Drift to look after the stingrays exactly?"

The reason why turned out to be Crosshairs had planned a diving trip for the two, he didn't specify where while Drift was around but with the equipment the sneaky stingray had somehow managed to wrangle up, she had 2 three hour oxygen tanks and a nearly full set of diving gear, the only thing missing was a wetsuit which she had already packed for such an occasion. "I was planning on going back to buy all this you know, you didn't have to steal it from god knows where," Amelie informed as they set out together, tanks fixed firmly on her back as the Sunday midday light guided their way out of the cave and out into the open water. Crosshairs just cackled in response. "Oh believe me this method was way more fun. There's a crazy old hermit fella' that lives not far from your village on the coastline. He's been raving on about us merfolks for years so ah' decided to mess with him every so often. Nothin' too bad mind, just stealing things and makin' sure he can't go out hunting."

"Why's he so set on you guys?" Frost raised an eyebrow as they sailed together, a smug smirk settling on his face. "He lost an arm to some shark merfolk years ago after he tried fishing in illegal waters, crazy fool decided to replace it with a harpoon hook and devote his life trying ta' get em' back." There was a brief period of silence. "...Has he?" Cross shook his head with a grin, resting on his back while Amelie caught up. "Not as far as i'm aware!"


	7. Uncertain shores - part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short one to gear up for the big one coming soon.

It was one experience to swim with others and say your fear was gone. It was another to go diving in a particularly deep part of the ocean and still manage to keep your veil of calm, the feeling of imminent dread bubbling just below the surface. Each wave swirled around the pair and Crosshairs held Amelie firmly, promising to not let go until she requested him to. What a ways they had come...

“Where are we diving, exactly?” Amelie yelped as a particularly big wave threatened to submerge them temporarily, arms tight around her as Crosshairs kept her afloat. “An old nest of mine. You might know it as a ‘shipwreck’ that sank in the late 1600’s- it’s long abandoned now, not even the humans remember it’s here but I reckon there’s a sight down near it you might be interested in...” He murmured encouragingly, letting her settle into the waves and slowly gain the courage to agree. When she had calmed down, Crosshairs took to holding her hands instead of her waist, pulling her goggles down to rest over her eyes securely. “You ready?” He searched Amelie for any sign of insecurity when she nodded yes, but finding gone but unending trust he guided her underwater hand in hand.

Together, metre by metre they submerged under the waves and into the blue which so often felt like it was beckoning Amelie into its depths. It was nerve-wracking letting the water wash over her and swim into the darker parts, letting the green luminescent glow of her partner guide the way as they swam together downwards. A school of small fish passed by at a distance, flashes of silver on a canvas of ultramarine and aqua. The entire sensation felt so familiar, the muted sounds and rush of bubbles with every breath teasing at a memory in the back of her mind, but it wouldn’t focus at her summons, refusing to unlock its secrets.

Crosshairs grinned at her as they got half way down, swimming circles around her excitedly. They couldn’t speak, but she could tell he was proud of her progress. Finally, the floor came into view and with it a variety of what looked like ruins. Pillars and walls and what looked like towers lay half crumbled across the sea floor covered in a variety of plants and sea crustaceans, the constant wearing of the ocean having worn down sharp edges and let them perfectly smooth to the touch. As they got closer the stonework was a perfect white, glistening with light as they swam past together. 

Large pieces of mosaics that once displayed vast images along the walls that weren’t decorated with the white stone littered the floors, trails of half overgrown fauna threatening to consume the pathways which dotted the paths. Old statues that seemed to be made of bronze and marble were tipped over, the ones that still stood ensnared in plants which made it their mission to cover any evidence that this place existed. The further along they went, the more buildings and less gardens they encountered- the roofs of each one smashed open. More and more seemed increasingly damaged, sides smashed in to the point of collapse. Amelie was tempted to surface just to ask what caused such a mess until the cause came into view.

A large galleon came into view, looming and intimidating in its presence as the triple masts jutted upwards, mangled against what looked like a massive temple it had fell upon. The front remained submerged into the building of whitestone, forever wedged as the back stuck out at a 45 degree angle. Plant life and fish had seen it fit to claim the area surrounding but the ship itself appeared to remain untouched for all of this time. 

Amelie glanced at Crosshairs who had a more sober expression now, but continued to move towards the ship, making their way along the underbelly of the boat and into a small air hole which had survived all these years. Removing her snorkel Frost gasped for air as she surfaced, the stingray not far behind. “This place is incredible!!! What on earth is it?” Crosshairs smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes, the tone dampening her enthusiasm. “This place? It used ta’ be the temple of Alchemist Prime. Then your kind found out about it somehow, dun’ know how. The battle was horrible- eventually we managed to sink this ship, but at the cost of many lives. It fell right on top of the temple, and the surrounding area was destroyed.”

Cross paused, sighing as he recounted the tale. “Alchemist was the kindest of all the Primes. Gave everything for each race and damn me to the pits if he didn’t try to find a peaceful solution between the two races. Broke his heart to have to kill them but it had to be done.” He gestured at the way they came, a stern expression settling on is features. “Those houses over there? He built them himself for his worshippers and followers. Only one to do that in history of my culture. When they were torn down, well... Needless ta' say he didn’t want them living on grounds where people had died. This place was abandoned at his request to move on to better, more hidden grounds, and the only one that remained was my carrier- or ‘mother’ as you call it.”  
Frost remained silent but her expression said everything, moving to hold the stingray’s hands which he accepted with a weak smile. “When everyone else moved out, my mother and I stayed. I was young at the time, barely past being a pup but we did the best we could, cleaned the area, took care of the temple- or what’s left of it,” he commented with a sarcastic snort. “This was my nest for a long time, and while I eventually moved on, I think she tried to stay. Nobody knows where she went after I left.”  
They stayed there in each other’s presence for awhile, Crosshairs resting on Frost quietly while he thought. Eventually he seemed to break from the silence, a small hopeful smile growing on his face with each affectionate kiss frost placed on his cheeks and forehead. “C’mon... If you grew up around here that means you know all the best things to look at, besides you of course.” The cheeky wink broke him fully out of his reserved state, a sly grin taking its place. "You're darn right I do."  
They submerged again after Frost replaced her equipment, moving past the ship now into the temple itself. The mosaics from before now covered the floor in unbroken spirals, the dim lighting of what looked like small energon crystals embedded in the floor. With a nudge to her side, Crosshairs gestured to pull out her necklace from the wetsuit, gesturing to the floor below. With a frown the crystal was retrieved, the glow of the energon immediately filling up the entire room with an ethereal teal. The previously dull looking room now looked fantastic with the gemstones and tiles which swirled into a pattern, a 13 pointed star gathering in the centre of the floor with a magnificence which took her breath almost literally away. Each wall was lined with statues and stained glass in windows which looked as though they had never been left alone, pillars that were still intact decorated in prayer banners that spanned across the ceiling to the next one. Above, a single glass dome raised up, the symbol of the moon with a small sun caught in its crescent lacing the glass.

Running her hand along the pillars gently they moved onto other rooms, each one fascinating in its own right until they reached what looked like a wall full of scripture. Both of them looked intently at the giant wall littered with words and etchings they couldn't understand, but the vast images of 13 warriors fighting what looked like an evil entity spoke plenty. With a frown, some of the words before her seemed blurry- like she could almost read them with a few letters distinguishable but something was holding her back... With a gesture back to the ship they returned to the previous air hole, emerging with a splash as Crosshairs grinned. "Before ya' ask, no I can't read it either. That's supposedly written in Prime scripture. Secretive language only they can speak which is a load of malarkey if you ask me, but ah'm not a Prime. Wouldn't mind being one though," he winked. Frost just snorted with laughter, preparing to get going again after not finding an explanation. "Anyway, we should head back. We've been exploring for hours and no doubt Drift is getting sick of my boys."

The travel back was nerve-wracking after watching the floor disappear beneath her and give way into obscurity once again but Crosshairs was there to guide Amelie and provide support as once again they emerged from the waves, safe and sound. There was a moment where the stingray clung tightly to Amelie, checking her over to make sure she was fine before speedily escorting her to her boat docked nearby. The gesture was oddly warming, how he knew instinctively to help before she could even have the chance to ask.


End file.
